By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that case counts are up to 10 now in the outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease linked to the downtown Atlanta Sheraton hotel. The property remains closed amid the outbreak and its investigation. At this time, no definitive source at the property has been confirmed to have caused the illnesses. According to local media reports, the “investigators continued testing water in pools, fountains, hot tubs, faucets, chillers and other locations at the hotel.”

Image/Otto Schwake
Health agents have not yet confirmed the hotel is the root source of the outbreak. However, the investigators are not conducting testing at any other locations or nearby hotels. Instead, it “is looking for clues at the Sheraton, which hosted all of those who are ill, either as hotel guests or visitors,” according to the state health department.
During this time, the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends that anyone who may have been exposed and are having symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease seek medical attention. Symptoms may include:
- cough
- confusion
- headache
- fever
- weakness or fatigue
- muscle aches
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- gastrointestinal issues, such as watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, or nausea
- lethargy
As always, it is a good idea to report any cases of Legionnaires’ disease to your local health department.
- Bangladesh reports nearly 800 dengue cases in one day, July is a record month
- Tuvalu dengue situation update
- Powassan virus: Maine confirms 1st case since 2017
- Measles: 16th case reported in Los Angeles County resident
- Arizona accounts for 75 percent of West Nile virus cases in the US
- MERS vaccine candidate: Safe, induced a robust immune response in Phase 1 trial
Ask the hotel’s management company HEI Hotels why they cut back on their facility management relationship with United Maintenance. Who was doing the preventative maintenance the last 15 months on the chillers, hvac and water towers?