Transcript
Last month we told you about the deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a Sheraton Atlanta hotel.
One person died from the disease and eleven other cases were confirmed.
It was the largest Legionella outbreak in Georgia history.
Now a second deadly outbreak of the disease struck the southeastern United States.
The North Carolina Department of Public Health says at least one person has died and forty-two others have been hospitalized.
This outbreak appears linked to water rides at the North Carolina mountain state fair in Fletcher.
According to the CDC, the rate has increased across the US 550 percent since 2000.
And they suspect the outbreak could be worse than they know because it can be difficult to diagnose the disease.
The disease is a serious lung infection caused by the Legionella bacteria, typically found in warm freshwater like hot tubs, hot water tanks and decorative fountains.
It can also be found in showerheads and plumbing systems in large building.
Symptoms include severe coughing, muscle aches, fever, shortness of breath and headaches.
It can typically be treated with antibiotics but people over the age of 50, those with weakened lungs or weakened immune systems are at a greater risk.
According to a 2015 CDC report, about one in ten people affected with Legionnaires dies.
So what is causing the increase in cases?
Health experts believe it’s a combination of people being more aware of the symptoms and seeking treatment, and the increase in building plumbing systems that have been neglected and not properly maintained.
The Closed Caption version of this video can be found here: https://sign1news.com/2019/09/29/sign1news-9-29-19/
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