RSOE EDIS - Epidemic Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 05 October, 2011 at 19:09 (07:09 PM) UTC. EDIS CODE: EH-20111005-32564-USA

RSOE EDIS - Epidemic Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 05 October, 2011 at 19:09 (07:09 PM) UTC. EDIS CODE: EH-20111005-32564-USA

Situation Update No. 1 on Friday, 07 October, 2011 at 03:13 UTC

Epidemic Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 05 October, 2011

Updated:	Friday, 07 October, 2011 at 03:13 UTC
hotels.com Description: Three people who were guests at the Plim Plaza Hotel in Ocean City, MD were hospitalized for legionellosis a week after staying at the hotel according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the Worcester County Health Department. DHMH health officials said in a news release Wednesday that all three individuals were hospitalized, but none died. It is not confirmed that the guests acquired the illness at the hotel, and the investigation is ongoing. Hotel management have relocated current guests and closed the hotel. As of Wednesday the investigation has shown that water samples from the hotel are being cultured at the Maryland State Health lab. Preliminary reports suggest the presence of Legionella bacteria in hotel water, however final culture results are not expected until the end of next week, at the earliest. Legionnaires’ disease gained national notoriety in 1976 when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered it during an epidemic of pneumonia among American legion members at a convention in Philadelphia. The causative organism is the bacteria, Legionella pneumophila. The legionella bacteria are found throughout nature, because of this most people become exposed to it but few develop symptoms. The primary place in nature it’s found is water sources particularly at warmer temperatures; lakes, rivers and moist soil. It is also found in man-made facilities (frequently the source of outbreaks) such as air-conditioning ducts and cooling towers, humidifiers, whirlpools and hospital equipment. People get exposed through inhaling infectious aerosols from these water sources. There is no transmission from person to person. The infection can appear in two clinical forms: Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever. Both conditions are typified by headache, fever, body aches and occasionally abdominal pain and diarrhea. Legionnaires’ disease is the cause of pneumonia where a non productive cough is typical. Fatality rates of this form of the infection are around 15 % even with improvements in treatment. Pontiac fever is a self limiting flu-like illness that does not progress to pneumonia or death. Diagnosis is usually made by typical symptoms in a outbreak setting. Diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease depends on identifying the bacteria in microbiological culture, detecting the antigen in urine samples or a fourfold increase in antibody titer. Certain health conditions make you more susceptible to infection to include increasing age, smoking, chronic lung disease, malignancy and diabetes mellitus. Legionnaires’ disease is treatable with antibiotics. To following things can be done as preventive measures: cooling towers should be drained when not in use and cleaned to remove scale and sediment and biocides can be used to limit bacterial growth. Tap water should not be used in respiratory therapy devices.

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