The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report detailing two separate outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease linked to cruise ships on different cruise lines.
The report’s findings say that the two ships, which were referred to as only “Ship A” and “Ship B,” had outdoor, private hot tubs on balconies. These hot tubs, according to the CDC, were the most likely cause of the outbreaks. Cases began springing up in November 2022, resulting in at least 12 passengers exposed to the disease.
Ship A, which had cases of Legionnaires’ Disease from November 2022 until April 2024, had a total of eight cases on board. Five of these cases stemmed from the same 14-day cruise in November 2022. Two other cases were identified from August-September 2023. In April 2024, one additional patient was identified. Both patients who were exposed in 2023 told health officials they were staying in cabins with hot tubs on the balconies. Of these cases, six were hospitalized.
Ship B had four cases from January until June 2024. The first two cases identified on Ship B were in January 2024 and stemmed from the same voyage in which one of the patients reported being on two back-to-back voyages. It is unclear whether this patient traveled consecutively on the same ship or whether they traveled from a different cruise line. The next two cases were identified in February 2024 and in May 2024. All four of these patients were hospitalized.
In response to the CDC investigation and the outbreaks, both cruise lines drained water from these hot tubs between uses, increased cleaning and chlorine usage to kill the bacteria, and removed heating elements from the water. Private hot tubs are not subject to the same maintenance requirements that public ones must abide by, according to the CDC.
Previous Outbreaks in the U.S.
Legionnaires’ Disease is a severe form of pneumonia that stems from the Legionella bacteria, a type of bacteria that grows best in warm, slow-moving water. It is contracted when a person inhales water droplets containing the bacteria. The disease was first identified in 1976 at a convention in Philadelphia for the American Legion. In that instance, more than 200 people were affected with at least 34 who died from the disease. The suspected cause is believed to have been contaminated water from a hotel cooling tower.
Since then, there have been numerous outbreaks of the disease in the U.S. Some of the more recent, documented outbreaks include 27 cases found in Houston, Texas, in 2021 believed to have been caused by an industrial site’s cooling tower; 87 cases in Flint, Michigan, in 2020 allegedly caused by issues with the municipal water supply; and 18 cases in 2018 believed to have been caused by contaminated water at a nursing home.
The bacteria can grow on shower heads, sink faucets, decorative fountains, hot tubs or plumbing systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Once a person becomes infected, the bacteria can inhibit their ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Those most at risk of infection are current and former smokers, people 50 years old or older, and those with preexisting health conditions such as chronic lung diseases, cancer or weakened immune systems.
Leesfield & Partners
Florida is a state known for its warm weather and abundance of recreational water activities, making it an ideal place for retirement or as a winter vacation getaway. While these ideas about the state may be true, it is also a state with a staggering amount of Legionnaires’ Disease cases. Historically, the state has ranked among the top five in cases of the disease. The CDC evaluated data from cases spanning from 2000-2018 that concluded these cases are on the rise.
Leesfield & Partners is a leading Legionnaires’ Disease law firm, securing multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of clients who have been injured by contracting this disease. In an article published in the Daily Business Review including commentary from Eric Shane, a Trial Lawyer at the firm, he discusses the prevalent dangers this disease presents to the average person.
“I think that people think about drowning or getting stuck in a filter system drain or being electrocuted,” Shane said. “If you polled 100 people, not one of them is going to tell you, ‘Yeah, Legionella. You’ve got to be on the lookout for that.’ We haven’t heard about this since Philadelphia. It’s not something that people think about when they’re going to enjoy themselves in a hot tub.”
Mr. Shane recently settled a Legionnaires’ Disease case in which a woman contracted the disease after her stay at a Florida hotel where she regularly used a hot tub on the property. The same day as checkout, the woman began experiencing Legionnaires’ Disease symptoms. She had swelling all over her body and a fever. After doctors diagnosed her with the disease, she went into septic shock and suffered an acute kidney injury.
In an investigation, it was discovered that the hotel failed to maintain the hot tub in accordance with industry standards.
Today, she still suffers from pain and fatigue. A $300,000 recovery amount was secured for the woman in that case.
Last year, the law firm settled two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease resulting from the same resort. The plaintiffs in those cases were unrelated and were not staying at the resort at the same time. Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, along with other attorneys at the firm were able to prove that the resort did not properly maintain or sanitize water systems such as in the multiple decorative fountains featured on the property where Legionella bacteria was able to grow.
A six-figure settlement for each client was reached in those cases.
Another case in which two men were exposed to Legionella bacteria at their condominium’s spa is being handled by Mr. Shane. One of the men in that case tragically passed away. The defendant did not have an adequate water management plan prior to this incident to prevent the growth of the bacteria in the property’s water systems.
The case is ongoing.
If you or a loved one were exposed to Legionella bacteria and believe you may have a claim, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400.