The JW Marriott Hotel in Chicago removed the fountain in the lobby after the Chicago Department of Health confirmed a high level of Legionnaire’s disease in that water. The hot tub, pool and part of the hotel’s luxury spa also has been shut down due to the presence and potential presence of the legionella bacterium that causes Legionnaire’s disease. The bacterium also can grow in cooling towers, showers and other warm water sources.
Management for the hotel told the press that they have contacted about 80 percent of the estimated 8,500 guests who stayed at the hotel during mid-July to mid-August who could have contracted the potentially fatal disease. Already three people have died following their stay at the downtown hotel on Adams Street, according to reports from the Chicago Department of Health.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease appear to be flu-like and can include high fever, chills, coughing, muscle aches and headaches. Click here to learn more from the CDC. A chest x-ray and testing of blood and urine are necessary to confirm the presence of the bacterium in the body.
