5 sickened with Legionnaires' disease near New Hampshire resort

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- New Hampshire residents and visitors to a Lincoln resort are being warned to monitor themselves for symptoms of Legionnaires' disease after five people developed the bacterial pneumonia in June and July.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services on Monday linked the outbreak to contaminated water droplets from a cooling tower behind the RiverWalk Resort.

"Anybody who has visited the area near the contaminated cooling tower should monitor themselves for symptoms," said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the New Hampshire State epidemiologist.

"People who develop a fever or other symptoms of pneumonia within about 14 days after spending time in this area should talk to their healthcare provider about testing for Legionella infection," Chan added.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of serious pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Legionella are naturally occurring environmental bacteria that can grow in water systems and infect people who breathe in contaminated water droplets from showers, hot tubs, faucets, cooling towers, misters and decorative fountains," according to the DHHS.

Symptoms typically include a cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, shortness of breath, confusion and nausea.

The CDC says most healthy people exposed to Legionella bacteria do not get sick. For those who do, Legionnaires' disease requires antibiotic treatment to recover. Approximately 10% of those infected are at risk of dying from complications that can include lung failure.

Older adults, smokers and those with weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease and diabetes have a higher risk of developing Legionnaires' disease, which does not spread from person to person.

Additional test results for the cooling tower are expected next week as RiverWalk works with DHHS to address the contamination.

DHHS said the cooling tower remains in operation during remediation and warns there is still a risk of exposure to the public, "especially for people within a half-mile of the cooling tower's location."