RIer hospitalized, Mass. resident dies of Legionnaires' disease after staying at NH hotel
WHITEFIELD, N.H. − A Rhode Islander has been hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease and a Massachusetts resident died of the illness after staying at the same New Hampshire hotel, according to Granite State health officials.
On Friday, the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services issued a notice that two people were "recently diagnosed" with the disease after staying at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield. The division has not said that the people were exposed at the resort, but that the source is under investigation.
More: Legionnaires' disease cases increase, RI Health Department says
The primary symptom of Legionnaires' disease is pneumonia, and the public health division advised healthcare providers to ask pneumonia patients about whether they traveled in the 14 days before the onset of symptoms.
What is Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium known as legionella, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most people catch Legionnaires' disease by inhaling the bacteria from water or soil. Older adults, smokers and people with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to Legionnaires' disease.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Islander hospitalized with Legionaires' after stay in New Hampshire
