Bob
11th June 2017, 17:31
The Southern Nevada Health District announced Friday two separate guests who stayed at the hotel at different times in March and April contracted Legionnaires' disease, which is caused by the Legionella bacteria.
A water sample currently taken at the Hotel showed Legionella existed throughout the entire facility's water system.
Infection Mechanism
People take in the bacteria by breathing in small contaminated droplets of water.
Showers, faucets, hot tubs and fountains can carry the bacteria.
The Rio hotel, like other Las Vegas hotels, offers gambling buffets, shows and a pool.
The magicians Penn & Teller perform there, so do the Chippendales dancers.
A Legionnaires' disease outbreak at a Philadelphia hotel in 1976 killed 29 people attending an American Legion event.
The infection manifests as bacterial pneumonia, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.
Health officials said the disease can sometimes result in death.
http://kfmb.images.worldnow.com/images/14108120_G.jpg
How could water systems throughout the hotel become contaminated?
Large roof mounted air conditioning units are fed with water, a type of swamp cooler. Water sitting in a contaminated area (dusts, molds, organic matter from birds/rats/mice) can carry the bacteria into the standing water. If a fill-valve is defective, and instead of completely turning OFF, the water in the sump (potentially contaminated) can be sucked back into the system, especially if the water pipe valve is on a lower floor, and that pipe "drained" for maintenance.
Improper maintenance steps then combined with the above scenario can lead to contamination being sucked into the building's water system.
The question remains, is the water that feeds this Hotel contaminated?
If that is the case, Las Vegas has a much bigger problem potentially brewing..
A water sample currently taken at the Hotel showed Legionella existed throughout the entire facility's water system.
Infection Mechanism
People take in the bacteria by breathing in small contaminated droplets of water.
Showers, faucets, hot tubs and fountains can carry the bacteria.
The Rio hotel, like other Las Vegas hotels, offers gambling buffets, shows and a pool.
The magicians Penn & Teller perform there, so do the Chippendales dancers.
A Legionnaires' disease outbreak at a Philadelphia hotel in 1976 killed 29 people attending an American Legion event.
The infection manifests as bacterial pneumonia, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.
Health officials said the disease can sometimes result in death.
http://kfmb.images.worldnow.com/images/14108120_G.jpg
How could water systems throughout the hotel become contaminated?
Large roof mounted air conditioning units are fed with water, a type of swamp cooler. Water sitting in a contaminated area (dusts, molds, organic matter from birds/rats/mice) can carry the bacteria into the standing water. If a fill-valve is defective, and instead of completely turning OFF, the water in the sump (potentially contaminated) can be sucked back into the system, especially if the water pipe valve is on a lower floor, and that pipe "drained" for maintenance.
Improper maintenance steps then combined with the above scenario can lead to contamination being sucked into the building's water system.
The question remains, is the water that feeds this Hotel contaminated?
If that is the case, Las Vegas has a much bigger problem potentially brewing..