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Graceland Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, was struck by a Legionnaires disease outbreak
STATES CHRONICLE – A Legionnaires disease outbreak struck the Graceland hotel, causing three people who stayed at the hotel to fall ill. This determined the Memphis health authorities to close the hot tub and the pool at The Guest House to further investigate where the disease came from.
The Guest House at the Graceland Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the main tourist attractions in the state, centered on the life of Elvis Presley. These Legionnaires disease cases are the latest in a series of other outbreaks in Nevada, Florida, or New York.
What is Legionnaires disease?
The disease is caused by the legionella bacteria, which usually infects water. It consists of a severe lung infection which people can contract while inhaling contaminated water vapor, usually coming from cooling systems.
The symptoms include headaches, high fever, or coughing, and they can easily be misinterpreted as pneumonia. If you visited the Graceland hotel between May 15th and June 26th and experienced such symptoms, go see a doctor immediately. Left untreated, Legionnaires disease might cause lung and kidney failure, and can even be deadly.
This condition can turn out more serious for people who already have other health problems. However, it leads to complications, so it is dangerous even for previously healthy people. Actually, 10 in 15 people with no pre-existing health conditions are at risk of death if they contract Legionnaires disease.
Contaminated hotels close for disinfection
The first cases of the disease were detected at the beginning of June, when two guests at Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, contracted it after spending time at the resort between March and April. Then, the officials temporarily closed the hotel to disinfect the pools and rooms, and get rid of the infection.
Every year, authorities report around 6,000 cases of Legionnaires disease. The rates increased between 2000 and 2015, when they reached 450 percent. Officials believe the rate didn’t actually get higher, but hospitals are now better at diagnosing and detecting the disease.
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