What Is Legionella Bacteria?
To fully grasp what happened to the two guests at the Mountain View Grand Hotel & Spa, it’s first important to understand what Legionella bacteria is and what it can do to the body.
Source: NHI
Legionella is a water or airborne bacteria which, when ingested, can cause flu-like symptoms, fever, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases, or even Legionnaires disease, which can be fatal.
Legionella Disease Statistics
While most people who come in contact with Legionella bacteria will experience fevers, lethargy, headaches, or even pneumonia over the course of two weeks, for some, it’s much worse.
Source: Freepik
In fact, 10% of people who contract the disease will die from complications, and that number increases to 30% for those who have a weak immune system or existing respiratory issues.
How Is Legionella Bacteria Contracted?
Legionella bacteria is often found in stagnant or hot water, and the most common form of contraction is through breathing in vapor or water droplets, during which time the bacteria infect the lungs.
Source: Freepik
Therefore, a hot tub that has hot and stagnant water, as well as bubbles that release significant vapors into the air, is extremely susceptible to having and dispensing the bacteria.
Barbara Kruschwitz Sadly Passed Away after Being Infected by the Bacteria
Barbara Kruschwitz of Merrimac, Massachusetts, was 71 years old when she went to the Mountain View Grand for a getaway with her husband, Henry, in October 2023.
Source: @WhittierRehabilitationHospitalBradford/Facebook
Just a week after her stay, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with Legionnaires disease. And, tragically, she died within just a few days.
Another Guest at the Hotel Was also Infected
Although they have chosen to remain anonymous, it is public knowledge that another guest of the hotel who visited from Rhode Island in December 2023 also became seriously ill due to Legionella bacteria.
Source: Freepik
Fortunately, they survived, but they were hospitalized due to severe symptoms. After the second case was reported, it became clear that the two victims had visited the Mountain View Grand, and an investigation began immediately.
The Investigation Begins
They first noted that the two guests who were hospitalized for Legionella infections stayed at the hotel at different times and were in different rooms.
Source: @Rob Strong/Dartmouth Medicine
Dr. Benjamin Chan from The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said that because the two guests had no other connection than staying in the hotel, it proved challenging to pinpoint where they would have contracted the bacteria.
The New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services Started Testing the Water
The Mountain View Grand Hotel & Spa has several water features, including two pools and a complimentary hot tub in the spa, as well as the water used for bathing and drinking in the rooms that needed to be checked for Legionella bacteria.
Source: @Mountain View Grand/Facebook
After their investigation, the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services found “a trace level of Legionella bacteria in the property’s hot tub filter.” And that “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.”
The CDC Recommends Testing Chlorine Levels Regularly
It’s important to note that all water features, such as pools and hot tubs, are susceptible to bacterial growth. The only way to combat this issue is by ensuring the water has ample chlorine to kill any rogue pathogens or germs.
Source: Freepik
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that chlorine levels are regularly assessed by anyone who has a hot tub or pool. So, it could have been that the Mountain View Grand simply didn’t have the correct amount of chlorine in their hot tub.
The Hotel Hot Tub Has Since Been Drained and Cleaned
Immediately after they detected trace amounts of Legionella bacteria, the hot tub at the hotel was “drained, closed, and eliminated,” and “there are no plans to reopen it,” said the New Hampshire DPHS.
Source: Freepik
The DPHS also noted that “Mountain View will continue to work closely with the DPHS to ensure the health and safety of [their] guests.”
No One Knows for Sure How the Bacteria Got into the Hot Tub
There is no way to know for sure how the Legionella bacteria got into the hotel hot tub. It is possible that it was brought in by someone who had been swimming in contaminated fresh water.
Source: Freepik
But, since the two incidents were over a month apart, it is clear that there was some negligence by the hotel, as the correct amount of chlorine would have killed the bacteria during that time.
The Mountain View Grand Hotel & Spa Is Still a Safe Place to Stay
Throughout the comprehensive investigation of all water at the Mountain View Grand Hotel & Spa, traces of the bacteria were only found in the now-shut-down hot tub.
Source: @Mountain View Grand/Facebook
And as the hotel is now paying extremely close attention and continuing to test the water in its pools and faucets, Mountain View wants to make it clear that the hotel is still a perfectly safe place to stay.