The New Hampshire Department of Public Health has ordered a Hampton Beach hotel to remediate Legionella bacteria found within its water supply.
Officials began investigating after more than a dozen cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported near Hampton Beach. One death has been reported, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Initial tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected the presence of the Legionella bacteria from multiple sources within The Sands Resort water supply, including the hot tub, Boston 25 News reported.
"Early test results from the CDC indicate the presence of the Legionella bacteria in several environmental samples taken from the facility’s water system. I have issued this order to ensure the health of guests and visitors of the establishment, as well as the health of Hampton residents and visitors. The Sands Resort will immediately notify current and future guests of the Legionella outbreak and take steps to remediate the premise plumbing system in order to mitigate the risk to the public's health," said commissioner Jeffrey Meyers.
Boston 25 News spoke with Tom Saab, the co-owner of the Sands Resort, last week, who said the hotel's hot tub is drained and cleaned several times each week.
"They asked as a courtesy if we could shut down our hot tub, which is a very small hot tub, which has been here for 25 years and we've never had a problem whatsoever," said Saab. "It's immaculate. It has all brand-new filters, new pump," Saab said.
Additional test results could be released next week.
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