The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Legionnaires’
ous lung infection.
No deaths related to the Legionnaires’ outbreak have been reported, according to the health department.
Until testing is complete, health officials say, they can’t be sure that the hotel is the source of the outbreak, though no other locations are being tested for Legionella. The Sheraton Atlanta will remain closed until at least Aug. 11 but may remain closed for several weeks longer, depending on the test results and whether remediation is necessary.
The Department of Public Health and the Fulton County Board of Health investigators have been reviewing hundreds of survey responses from people who stayed at or visited the hotel between June 12 and July 15. The survey responses are being analyzed to compare activities at the hotel between people who became sick and those who didn’t. It could take weeks to parse through the surveys, the health department said.
Investigators have also taken environmental samples for testing and remediation. The first round of environmental samples was collected July 19, and a second round of samples was collected Monday.
When testing hotels for Legionella bacteria, which cause Legionnaires’ disease, investigators typically begin in pools, hot tubs and water fountains, the most likely culprits of the bacterium, DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said.
The investigation can expand well beyond those water sources, stretching into the hotel’s water supply system, including the plumbing system, she said.
The team of investigators will look for clues — such as whether all of the sickened guests stayed on the same floor — that could help find the contaminated source.
Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, the agency says, it can become a health concern when it grows and multiplies in building water systems.
In Georgia, there have been close to 90 confirmed cases this year, according to the state Department of Public Health. Last year, there were 180 confirmed cases and nine suspected cases in the state. That’s up from 41 in 2008.
A variety of factors may be contributing to the increase, according to the CDC. More awareness of the disease could mean more reporting. But there’s also improved testing, and an aging population is more susceptible. Another factor could be more Legionella in the environment.
Officials stressed that the disease is not spread from person-to-person contact. The bacterium makes its way into the lungs of most people who become ill after they breathe in mist or steam infected with Legionella.
Those who get the sickest and face complications from Legionnaires’ tend to be over 50, have medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes, or have a history of smoking.