HAMPTON, N.H. (WHDH) - New Hampshire health officials issued an order to the Sands Resort in Hampton to take immediate steps to remediate the Legionella bacteria at the resort and notify guests of the bacteria.
The order was issued after tests conducted by the CDC detected the Legionella bacteria from multiple sources within the Sands Resort water system, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
The DHHS says there may be additional test results for samples taken from Sands Resort within the next week. Environmental samples taken from other affected locations are still pending.
The resort responded Monday evening, saying they’re bringing in a team of engineers to flush out the water system Wednesday and hope to have everything cleaned up by Friday, in time for the annual seafood festival.
There are currently 14 confirmed cases of Legionnaires Disease in New Hampshire, one of which was fatal.
Although most people exposed to Legionella will not get sick, it can cause severe illness and sometimes result in death.
Legionnaire’s disease is acquired from breathing in small drops of water that contain the bacteria. It cannot be passed from person to person contact and it cannot be contracted by drinking or coming into physical contact with water containing the bacteria.
If you have information or questions about this outbreak, please call the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Public Inquiry Line by calling 603-271-9461. There’s also a CDC webpage dedicated to the outbreak at https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/index.html.
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