Sick with Legionnaires’?
Call (612) 337-6126
Elliot Olsen has decades of experience representing people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease, and he has regained millions of dollars for them. If you or a family member got sick in the Hampton Legionnaires outbreak, please call (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation, or complete the following:
Minneapolis attorney Elliot Olsen was retained by a Massachusetts man who became ill in the Hampton Legionnaires outbreak. The victim has requested anonymity.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire health officials increased the number of victims in the Hampton Legionnaires outbreak to 18. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also announced that the investigation is nearing its end.
Hampton Legionnaires outbreak: X-ray scheduled
Olsen’s client stayed at The Sands Resort at Hampton Beach with another couple on August 9-10. He started feeling ill on Aug. 18, experiencing a severe headache and cough, and he saw a doctor on Aug. 20.
His symptoms worsened, however, and on Aug. 22 he was admitted to a Massachusetts hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He stayed in the hospital two nights.
After being discharged, he learned about the Hampton Legionnaires outbreak. He returned to the hospital on Aug. 25 and was admitted for two more nights. During this time, he was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.
Olsen’s client had a follow-up visit Sept. 5 with his primary doctor, who has scheduled a chest X-ray for mid-October.
Attorney Elliot Olsen has been retained by a Massachusetts man sickened in the Hampton Legionnaires outbreak. Test results at The Sands Resort (pictured) returned elevated levels of Legionella – the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease – in the hot tub, water heater, outdoor shower hose, and the sinks and shower heads in three guest rooms. Olsen’s client stayed at The Sands on August 9-10.
Hampton Legionnaires outbreak: hot tubs
The hot tubs at The Sands Resort and the Harris Sea Ranch Motel were shut down in late August. Soon thereafter, it was learned by WMUR News 9 that neither The Sands nor the Harris Sea Ranch had registered the hot tubs with the state. Registration is required to ensure that public pools and spas comply with health and safety standards.
Testing performed on the hot tub at The Sands showed elevated levels of Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. Water samples taken from The Sands’ hot tub were found to be growing the same strain of Legionella that was isolated from one of the patients diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, indicating that the hot tub was a source, the DHHS said.
Tom Saab, owner of The Sands Resort, said the hot tub – which has been closed permanently – will be removed. “It’s going to be ripped out of there,” Saab told seacoastonline.com. “It’s not worth the aggravation to open it.”
Hampton Legionnaires outbreak: other areas, too
Testing done at The Sands also showed elevated levels of the bacteria in the motel’s water heater and outdoor shower hose, as well as the sinks and shower heads in three guest rooms.
At that time those test results were announced, it was published that nine of the 14 people sickened had been guests at The Sands. Those numbers have not been updated.
The Sands’ water system was remediated in early September, and new samples have been collected for testing by an independent laboratory to ensure that Legionella has been eliminated.
Hampton Legionnaires outbreak: the disease
Legionnaires’ disease is also known as legionellosis and Legionella pneumonia. Its symptoms are similar to those of other types of pneumonia, which is an infection of the air sacs in one or both lungs that can produce fluid in the lungs.
The symptoms
The initial symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease – which also can resemble those of the flu – generally include:
- severe headaches
- muscle pains
- fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- chills.
By day two or three, other symptoms develop, including:
- cough, which can bring up mucus and blood
- difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
- severe chest pains
- gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, etc.)
- confusion and other mental problems.
High risk
Anyone can become sick with Legionnaires’ disease, but people who are most susceptible to infection include:
- anyone 50 years of age or older
- smokers, current or former
- anyone with a chronic lung disease (COPD)
- heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages
- anyone with a compromised immune system
- organ-transplant recipients
- anyone on a specific drug protocol (corticosteroids, to name one).
Contracting Legionella
Legionella bacteria grow best in warm water, and they are found primarily in human-made environments. Outbreaks have been linked to a number of sources, such as:
- hot tubs, swimming pools, and whirlpools
- water systems (hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.)
- cooling towers of air conditioning systems
- large plumbing systems
- bathroom faucets and showers
- hot water heaters and tanks
- physical-therapy equipment
- mist machines, like those in grocery store produce sections
- hand-held sprayers
- decorative fountains.
