June 28, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Two separate cases of Legionnaires’ disease among guests of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino sparked an investigation of the hotel by the Southern Nevada Health District. The guests stayed at the hotel at different times in March and April of 2017. A water sample taken by health officials from the hotel’s water system after the two cases were reported showed presence of Legionella bacteria.  The district’s environmental health supervisor, Mark Bergtholdt, reportedly stated that large buildings- such as the Rio hotel- would be common homes to Legionella bacteria due to the complex plumbing systems, in which water may lay stagnant for long periods…

June 19, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

One person is dead and six others have been hospitalized due to their illness with Legionnaires’ disease over the past 11 days in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. The woman who passed was in her 90s and reportedly had underlying health issues, says the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The source of the outbreak is not yet known, but cooling systems within a half mile radius of those who have fallen ill are being tested as possible sources. The results from the 116 cooling systems under investigation may take up to two weeks. Legionnaires’ disease is caused…

June 12, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Positive findings of Legionella bacteria were found throughout the water system in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The investigation came about after two guests contracted Legionnaires ’ disease following their stay at the Rio Hotel in March and April. Test results conducted by The Southern Nevada Health District following the second reported case of the disease showed the presence of the bacteria. The company is now taking action to remediate the problem and disinfect the water. Guests are being alerted and are being relocated while remediation is taking place.   Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia…

May 8, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

According to a CDC report based on 27 different outbreaks investigated by the CDC from 2000-2014, released last year, found that hotels and resorts are the most common source of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks in the United States. Hotels and resorts were 25 percentage points ahead of long term care facilities and other health care related facilities. Senior living facilities, workplace, and community-associated outbreaks were each found to be responsible for 7% of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks. Travel associated outbreaks (hotels and resorts) were found to be the most common source of outbreaks but were also found to have the lowest median fatality rate at…

May 2, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

If a company or organization in the UK fails to prevent the spread of legionella on their premises and someone dies of Legionnaires’ Disease as a result, the company could face a charge of corporate manslaughter. As of now, a town council and a discount home improvement warehouse have faced corporate manslaughter charges as a result of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks. Following an outbreak of the flu that affected around 120 people who had attended a party at the Playboy Mansion, tests on the mansion’s pool and hot tub showed positive results for legionella bacteria. Though the first officially recorded Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak…

April 13, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

The Victoria Department of Health and Human Services are investigating an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in downtown Melbourne believed to have infected at least six people within the past two weeks, with more potential cases being investigated. All six of the victims are reported to have worked in or visited the east side of Melbourne’s Central Business District. One of the victims is said to have been hospitalized within an intensive care unit. All reported victims have been released from the hospital. The health authorities believe that the outbreak is tied to 92 cooling towers within the Central Business District of Melbourne. As…

April 10, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

According to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court in Early April, four cancer patients staying at the Hope Lodge, an American Cancer Society facility that temporarily houses cancer patients, contracted Legionnaires Disease in early 2015. Of the four cases, Joan Pederson, a 62 year old brain cancer patient was the first and only recorded death associated with the outbreak. Pederson had to stop treatment for her brain cancer for weeks in order to receive treatment for her Legionnaires’ Disease. This outbreak was overshadowed by the much larger, concurrent Bronx outbreaks in which more than 100 people were affected, and…

March 30, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

A man in his 50s has died from Legionnaires’ disease that he contracted while using a hot spring in Mihara, Hiroshima. He is thought to have visited the facility in early March and was hospitalized with pneumonia like symptoms including shortness of breath and fever shortly after. In addition to the deceased man, 39 people who have all visited the “Miharashi Onsen” hot spring have also been experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms. Of the 39 people, in ages ranging from 30-80, 37 have been hospitalized with two in serious condition. Legionella pneumophila has been detected in all of the people complaining of…

March 13, 2017 zacherlaw 0 Comments

An emergency has been declared in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A Legionella bacterium has been found in the water systems in multiple apartment buildings resulting in the Emergency Commission activating an emergency operations center to handle it. Two apartment blocks in the Zirmunai neighborhood tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease and a third block in the Lazdynai neighborhood is being tested. “We have two deaths and a third incident is still under investigation. This affects over 500 people because there are three buildings and it takes more than 24 hours to eliminate (the emergency situation). Based…

December 8, 2016 zacherlaw 0 Comments

La Quinta Inn & Suites Memphis Airport Graceland was found responsible in September of 2016 for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease among guests who stayed there between the months of July and September of 2016. Marlene Casas, 51, was a guest of the hotel during that time, and subsequently became ill with Legionnaires’ disease. Acencion Casas filed a lawsuit on Marlene’s behalf in federal court on Tuesday. She was reported to have spent a total of 22 days in the hospital, including 10 days in the ICU. Owners of the inn, La Quinta Holdings Inc., and Minesh and Jagruti Patel, allegedly failed…