Two diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after hotel stay, NH officials say. One died

Two guests of a New Hampshire hotel were recently diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after their stays, and one has died, according to health officials.

The two stayed at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said in an alert issued Dec. 29.

Now officials are investigating what may have caused their respiratory infections, according to the alert.

The two hotel guests were from Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Maddie Miller, a public information officer for the agency, told McClatchy News in a statement on Jan. 2.

“We can confirm that the Massachusetts resident has passed away, while the Rhode Island resident was hospitalized and subsequently released,” Miller said.

Henry Kruschwitz, of Merrimac, Massachusetts, told WMUR-TV that his 71-year-old wife, Barbara, died of Legionnaires’ disease in October a week after they stayed at the New Hampshire resort.

State health officials haven’t released the name of the Massachusetts resident who died.

“It’s harder to figure out, kind of fathom, that now that a second person has gotten sick. That’s unacceptable,” Kruschwitz told the TV station. “You don’t want to see anybody else go through what I went through.”

The Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa said it’s working with state officials as they investigate whether the Legionnaires’ disease cases are linked to the two guests’ stays at the hotel this past fall.

“The state confirmed they cannot be certain where these individuals contracted their infection,” the resort wrote Dec. 30 on its Facebook page.

“We are continuing to follow our stringent and consistent protocols to ensure the utmost health and safety of our guests and employees while we await test results recently conducted to confirm the potential source,” the post said.

What is Legionnaires’ disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a “serious type of pneumonia” caused by an exposure to Legionella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms, which typically appear two days to two weeks after being exposed, include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches, the CDC says.

Most people won’t develop Legionnaires’ disease after an exposure to the bacteria if they’re healthy, according to the agency.

The CDC says those most at risk are adults 50 and older, people who smoke or used to smoke, those with weaker immune systems and people with other health conditions, including chronic lung disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney or liver failure.

Chest X-rays of affected individuals appear similar to X-rays of people with other forms of pneumonia, according to the agency.

How does the disease spread?

Legionella bacteria is “commonly found in water and soil,” the New Hampshire DHHS said in its alert.

The pathogens can be found in bodies of freshwater and can also grow in the water supplies of human-made buildings, according to the CDC.

When a Legionella infection arises, it’s often an isolated event, New Hampshire’s public health alert noted.

If an outbreak happens, it’s likely linked to a facility’s water supply, such as a hotel, according to the alert.

Water fixtures where the bacteria can spread include showerheads, faucets, hot tubs and plumbing systems, the CDC says.

When someone breathes in tiny water droplets with the pathogens, they can become infected, according to the agency.

Kruschwitz told WMUR-TV that his wife swam in the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa’s pool and hot tub.

The hot tub is now shut down as officials investigate the Legionnaires’ disease cases, the TV station reported.

According to the CDC, the disease doesn’t typically spread among people, but there is a rare possibility of it.

Exposure to Legionella bacteria can also lead to Pontiac fever, a “less serious illness,” according to the CDC.

Other cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the U.S.

On March 21, New Hampshire DHHS announced five cases of Legionnaires’ disease were linked to a campground in Meredith.

Five individuals became sick with the illness between fall 2021 and January 2023 after they stayed at the Meredith Woods and Clearwater Campground, officials said in a news release.

All five people were hospitalized and ultimately recovered, according to officials.

Since 2000, there has been an increase in reported Legionnaires’ disease cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.

In 2018, there were nearly 10,000 cases, the CDC says.

The number of Legionnaires’ disease cases is expected to be higher than the actual numbers reported because it’s “likely underdiagnosed,” according to the CDC.

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