A hot tub at a New Hampshire resort "may have been the source of Legionella exposure" for two out-of-state residents who stayed at the resort last month, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.
A Massachusetts resident died from the disease, according to health officials. The other, a Rhode Island resident, was hospitalized.
There have been no additional cases of Legionnaires' disease associated with this case, health officials said. The hot tub at the Mountain View Gran Resort and Spa in Whitefield remains closed and poses no threat to the public
Initial tests of the resort's water system didn't find Legionella, DHHS said, adding it continues to work with the Department of Environmental Services and Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa to "address" the results of the investigation.
The resort and spa noted that a trace level of the bacteria was found in the hot tub's filter and that it may never be known if it was the source of the former guests' illnesses.
"The indoor hot tub, when operational, was a self-contained system and the trace amount of Legionella was isolated from the rest of the property. Out of an abundance of caution, the property immediately drained, closed, and eliminated the hot tub and there are no plans to re-open it," read a statement from the facility, which noted that Mountain View will keep working with health officials to keep guests safe.
Legionnaires disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It spreads when someone inhales tiny droplets of contaminated water, commonly found in hot tubs, industrial air conditioning systems and even drinking water.
