July 14, 2021 zacherlaw 0 Comments

An Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in Minnesota Linked to an Alberta Lee Hotel

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at an Alberta Lee hotel has hospitalized two people. Investigators from the Minnesota Health Department have confirmed that early evidence suggests the outbreak originated at the hotel spa. Both infected individuals spent time in the hot tub located in the spa before becoming sick. It is believed that more people are experiencing symptoms consistent with Legionnaire’s disease. The health department is urging anyone who visited the hotel between June 22 and June 29 to watch for symptoms. The urge any individual that is experiencing any symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, shortness…

READ MORE
October 7, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionnaires’ patient takes legal action against Seattle hospital

A patient at the UW Medical Center in Seattle, WA has filed a claim against the hospital after she contracted Legionnaires’ disease while recovering from a transplant. Victoria Martin, 32, underwent a successful heart transplant on August 8, 2016. She was placed on a standard program of immunosuppressant drugs, which made her more vulnerable to infections and bactera such as Legionella. When she contracted Legionnaires’ disease after the transplant, she was put on a respirator in the ICU for 25 days. She spent a total of 35 days in the hospital undergoing treatment for the disease. She still returns to…

READ MORE
October 6, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Hopkins cooling towers investigated as Legionnaires’ cluster grows

Several cooling towers in the town of Hopkins, MN are under investigation as the number of reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease continues to rise. The town has seen 23 cases of the disease within the past two months, one of them fatal. Residents of the town, which has a population of 18,000, were told last week that the Minnesota Department of Health is conducting tests on several water towers. The seven water towers under investigation have been named. Testing samples have been taken and the towers are now undergoing routine disinfection, though test results for Legionella are not yet available. No…

READ MORE
September 20, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Number of confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases in Hopkins, MN rises to nine

The Minnesota Department of Health (“MDH”) stated on Friday, September 16, that there are now nine confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Hopkins area, with patients ranging in age from their 20’s to their 90’s. Officials have indicated that they are still unaware of the source of the Legionella bacteria responsible for the outbreak, and believe it is possible that they might never know. The MDH expects to see more cases of Legionnaires’ popping up within the Hopkins area as a result of the outbreak. Legionnaires’ disease is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other respiratory diseases. The MDH has…

READ MORE
September 15, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Hopkins, MN investigations source of Legionnaires’ disease

The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed six cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the city of Hopkins. The source of the bacteria remains unknown. All six of the patients are over 50 years old. As of Friday, three of the patients remained hospitalized; two had recovered, and the status of the most recent case remained unknown. The MDH is conducting tests and investigations into possible connections between the cases. Four of the patients live in Hopkins, but no further links have been found. Health officials are looking into supermarkets, ornamental fountains, and local buildings with cooling towers as potential sources.…

READ MORE
January 11, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionnaires’ disease associated with Minnesota Restaurant

Corey Gutwasser, a 25-year-old in Lakeville, Minnesota is out of his medically induced coma that he was put in last month due to Legionnaires’ disease. According to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, he was exposed to Legionella bacteria in November and was put on life support in December, but is now in stable condition. Gutwasser’s mother, Melanie Buetow, said that her son will need physical rehabilitation to relearn how to talk and eat. The Minnesota Department of Health conducted an investigation and cited Babe’s Bar and Grill in Lakeville as a potential source of Gutwasser’s Legionnaires’ disease.  Gutwasser worked at…

READ MORE