New Hampshire health officials issued an order to the Sands Resort in Hampton this weekend after initial tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected the presence of the Legionella bacteria from multiple sources within the water system, including, but not limited to the hot tub spa.

Legionella/CDC
Legionella/CDC

The order, signed by New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner Jeffrey A. Meyers noted that nine people who stayed at the property since July have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.

In addition to the hot tub, Legionella DNA was detected in the water heater, outdoor shower hose and on the shower/sink heads in three guest rooms.

The order requires Sands Resort ownership to post signs and notify guests at check-in and reservation about the Legionella outbreak, hire a consultant to perform an assessment and initiate remediation and perform ongoing Legionella testing to confirm remediation.

Hampton, New Hampshire Legionnaires’ outbreak update

The premise plumbing system is the portion of the water distribution system from the water meter to the tap in homes and buildings. The CDC may have additional test results for samples taken from the Sands Resort in the next week. Test results are still pending for environmental samples taken from other locations in the affected area.