Contaminated cooling tower blamed for outbreak of Legionnaires' in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said five people developed Legionnaires' disease in June and July after likely being exposed to contaminated water droplets from a cooling tower.

The cooling tower is located behind the RiverWalk Resort in the downtown area of Lincoln, New Hampshire. Testing confirmed that the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was identified in the cooling tower.

Most people who are exposed to Legionella bacteria do not become ill. Legionnaires' disease is pneumonia characterized by fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches, and pulmonary infiltrates consistent with pneumonia, health officials said. Symptoms usually start 2 to 14 days after infection, officials say.

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“Anybody who has visited the area near the contaminated cooling tower should monitor themselves for symptoms,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire State Epidemiologist. “People who develop fever or other symptoms of pneumonia within 14 days after spending time in this area should talk to their healthcare provider about testing for Legionella infection.”

Doctors in the region are encouraged to screen for Legionnaires'. It generally causes 2% to 10% of community-based pneumonia cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the bacteria that causes the disease is generally spread through water droplets in the air. Generally, 1in 10 people who contract the disease die, the CDC says.

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This is the second instance of Legionnaires' disease being reported by health officials in New Hampshire in the last year. Health officials said in December that two people who stayed at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield, New Hampshire, contracted Legionnaires' disease. Of the two patients, one died and a second person was hospitalized.