The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised that a hot tub is the “probable” source of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Staffordshire. So far 18 cases have been confirmed and one patient has died. Investigations were taking place at JTF Warehouse in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.
The HPA said that samples taken from the hot tub concerned, were confirmed as being an unusual strain of legionella bacteria and matched those taken from the patients.
Dr Sue Ibbotson, from the HPA, said: “We know that 17 of the 18 confirmed cases visited this warehouse in the two weeks before they fell ill.
We know that spa pools are known to be effective mechanisms for spreading the legionella infection and it can take up to two weeks following exposure for people to develop symptoms of Legionnaires’.”
