United States: Several recent instances linked to Legionnaires’ disease cases have been increasingly associated with the US cruise ship hot tubs, as per the CDC reports.
More about the news
Two cruise ships were sampled as harboring hot tubs on their balconies as the key infection transmission area from November 2022 to June 2024, according to a CDC report last month.
Legionella bacteria can grow in hot tubs because these products have warm temperatures, which are required by the bacteria, said Waleed Javaid, MD, an epidemiologist and the director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York.
About the disease
Legionnaires’ disease is one of the pneumonia types, and it is caused by Legionella bacteria.
This bacterium thrives especially in areas where water stagnates, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in Long Island, New York, Fox News reported.
Legionella can spread illness upon ingestion of water droplets or inhaling water containing it.
It can be transmitted from one person to another but not frequently, according to the CDC. Furthermore, infections can result in severe pneumonia in elderly and immunocompromised individuals, Handel also pointed out.
Some side effects may also include nausea, diarrhea, and confusion, the CDC established.
A medical professional can diagnose the infection with lab tests and chest X-rays, Fox News reported.
It is mostly resolved using antibiotics. For a severe infection, medical attention may be sought in the form of breathing assistance and intravenous fluids.
Legionnaires’ disease itself has a fatality rate of around 10 percent if the infected patients develop complications of the disease – or 25 percent if they contract it in a healthcare setting, the CDC states.