Lacey motel linked to outbreak of Legionnaires" disease agrees to close ...

The Super 8 motel on College Street in Lacey.

Lacey motel linked to outbreak of Legionnaires disease agrees to closetemporarily

The Super 8 motel on College Street in Lacey.

LACEY, Wash. The Super 8 Motel at 112 College St. SE in Lacey announced Thursday it will voluntarily close due to an outbreak investigation of Legionnaires disease, the Thurston County Health Department said.

The county said motel is working with Dr. Rachel Wood, a Thurston County health officer, and will remain temporarily closed until further notice.

Within the past month, three cases of Legionnaires disease have been confirmed with possible connection to the motel.

The Health Department said Legionnaires disease is a serious form of pneumonia that is caused by Legionella bacteria. People get Legionnaires disease when they breathe in water mist or vapor that has been contaminated with the bacteria.

The Health Department is asking guests, staff and contractors of the motel to monitor their health for symptoms of the disease and to contact their health care provider if they become ill. The time period between the time of exposure to the bacteria and illness is from 2 to 10 days, typically 5 to 6 days.

Symptoms of Legionnaires disease include:

• Fever, tiredness, body aches and headache
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Occasionally diarrhea

People at increased risk for Legionnaires disease include those over 50 years of age and those with certain medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and those with lowered immune systems.

The department said people who stayed at the motel are not at risk of spreading Legionnaires disease to other people. The bacteria are not spread from person to person.

Hotel whirlpools, showers, and air conditioning units have previously been shown to be sources of Legionnaires disease outbreaks.

The Super 8 motel has contracted with a laboratory to complete an environmental assessment of the motel to determine the possible source of the bacteria, the county said. The laboratory is certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Thurston County Health Department is working to contact guests, staff and contractors who have recently been at the motel to inform them of the outbreak. These individuals can reach Department staff by calling the Nurse Line at 360-867-2672. Though the Department is closed for general business over the holiday weekend, disease investigation staff will be available July 3-5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: http://q13fox.com/2015/07/02/lacey-motel-linked-to-outbreak-of-legionnaires-disease-agrees-to-close-temporarily/