A Massachusetts mother of three and former physical therapist died from Legionnaires' disease after staying at a luxury resort in New Hampshire, and another guest was hospitalized with the infection months later.
New Hampshire health officials say two guests who had booked a stay at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa tested positive for Legionella bacteria in the hotel's hot tub, which can cause infections and contaminate water systems. It is believed that he came into contact with.
Barbara Kruschwitz, 71, died in October with her husband, Henry, just a week after staying at the resort and soaking in the hotel's bathtub and its pool. told WMUR.
She developed pneumonia and was unable to fight back.
“Her heart had stopped and we couldn't revive her,” Kruschwitz said of his wife, the mother of their three sons. “And–that's all I can say.”
The Department of Health and Human Services conducted an investigation after two incidents were linked to the resort and announced last week that trace amounts of bacteria were detected in the resort's hot tub. According to Boston.com.
Henry Kruschwitz was shocked that more measures were not taken to prevent new infections after his wife's death.
“It makes it even harder in some ways to understand that another person has gotten sick. That's unacceptable,” Kruschwitz said. “You don't want to see anyone else go through what I went through.”
The second guest, who has not been identified, is an elderly man from Rhode Island who stayed at the resort and became ill in December.
“They were at the resort at different times, during different months, and in different rooms,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Human Services. told WCVB.. “They are both elderly and were hospitalized with infections, which is common with Legionnaires' disease.”
Legionnaires' disease can be transmitted to people through inhaled water droplets. Symptoms begin 2 to 14 days after infection and include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headache, and, in severe cases, pneumonia, according to the CDC.
People with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of side effects.
The hot tub at Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa is out of service and does not pose a threat to the public, health officials said.
The health department has not found any other cases of bacterial illness associated with the resort.
According to Boston.com, resort managers said the hot tub was drained and closed and there are no plans to reopen it.
“At this point, it is unknown whether trace amounts of Legionella bacteria are present, and we may never know. [in the hot tub] “It was the same bacteria that made two former guests ill,” the resort said in a statement to the magazine. “The operating indoor hot tub was a self-contained system, and traces of Legionella were isolated from the rest of the property.”
The newspaper has contacted the resort for comment.
