Officials from the US have stated that a person has tragically died of Legionnaire’s disease after staying at an Atlanta hotel. The Sheraton is the place where the disease has been traced, with 11 other people being diagnosed with the same affliction. The Department of Public Health has identified 61 cases that need further investigation to discern if infection has taken hold.
Hotel epicenter
The 61 individuals have been deemed as probable cases, meaning that symptoms of the disease are exhibited but the infection has not bee yet confirmed in a lab.
Guests that booked rooms in the Sheraton Atlanta hotel cited that they were experiencing lung pain and all the associating issues that come with that. The people that were experiencing these issues have been traced to attend a convention at the Sheraton in July. Most of them have been confirmed to suffer from Legionnaire’s disease.
After knowing about the results of the investigation, the Sheraton hotel in Atlanta has voluntarily shut down until officials can root out the source of the infection. The shutdown should remain active until mid-August.
Disease affects thousands each year
About 10 percent of infected people die from Legionnaire’s disease. The US alone sees between 10.000 and 20.000 cases per year. But not all of the outbreaks are reported to authorities due to the fact that the disease is mistaken for a severe cold. In fact, it is an advanced form of pneumonia.
This disease is airborne and water-based. This is due to harmful bacteria in the mist and ingested water. Once the bacteria gets into the lungs it starts to affect the individual. But the disease can be treated with antibiotics.
Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease
The individual that has been infected will feel fatigued and a general state of weakness. The general symptoms are quite similar to those exhibited by patients that have a severe cold. Coughing, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, and shortness of breath count themselves among the symptoms.
Juana loves to cover the tech and gaming industry, she always stays on the first row of CES conference and reports live from there.
