3 L.A. Fitness patrons diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, officials say

Legionnaires' disease causes pneumonia-like symptoms

OCOEE, Fla. – The Florida Health Department has confirmed three cases of Legionnaires' disease in Orlando.


All three cases are members of LA Fitness on Silver Star Road in Ocoee.

"There's about two dozen Legionnaire diseases reported to Orange County per year and maybe 250-300 in the state of Florida. It's not common that we find a single common exposure or a cluster or a grouping of these cases in space and time, said  Alvina Chu, epidemiology program manager for the Orange County Health Department.

'People who are at higher risks could reduce their exposures by them not showering or taking tub baths instead. They could do that or not drinking water from tap," Chu said. 

Legionnaires' disease is spread by the legionella bacteria, which grows and multiplies a building's water system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Someone can come down with the disease when they breathe in small water droplets that contain the bacteria.

The CDC said the bacteria grows best in warm water and can cause pneumonia-like symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, fever, and headaches.

News 6 spoke with one five-year LA Fitness member who told being informed of the case is making him think.

"Diseases could be anywhere. You know, it doesn't have to be a specific place," Carlos Lucina said. 

A new member of the gym told News 6 that this concerned them. 

"I just signed up yesterday so I was kind of leary about coming here today, Domonique Breconidge said. 

But, LA Fitness has been proactive in testing their water, Chu said. 

 

"We do sampling first and then we recommend that a facility do remediation or treatment at the potable water system. LA Fitness Ocoee has done that proactively before knowing about our results, Chu said.

 

Here's the LA Fitness statement from Jill Greuling, EVP of Operations at Fitness International

"As you know (based on what you have said below), we were notified last Thursday by the Florida Department of Health in Orange County (DOH-Orange) of a potential exposure to legionellosis at our Ocoee facility.  We share in their concern, and we are working closely and diligently with them to address it.  Although it has not been conclusively shown through testing that the exposure took place at our facility, the DOH-Orange has recommended we take certain measures to remediate and to notify the members who used the club over the 4 weeks prior to last Thursday.  Also, out of extreme caution, we separately enlisted the services of Nalco Water, which provides expertise in water treatment.  They performed the remediation steps the DOH-Orange advised, as well as other measures they recommended (again, out of an abundance of caution).  Our entire club and all facilities and amenities are currently available for use.  We will continue to conduct further testing and work with DOH-Orange, who have been extremely helpful.  Useful information we received from the DOH-Orange and provided to our guests is included in the document attached that we both emailed to our guests and posted at the club."

 


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