Six cases of Legionnaire’s disease that appear to be linked to stays at Las Vegas’ Aria Resort & Casino according to the state’s Health District. What is Legionnaire’s and what can happen to you if you take the gamble?

The pneumonia-like disease, which was identified and reached epidemic proportions in 1976 after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia (221 cases resulting in 34 deaths, according to The New York Times), is spread by inhaling airborne particles that contain the Legionella bacteria. Contaminated air conditioning and water sources such as showers can spread the disease. Legionella pneumonia has a fatality rate of 28%.

Jennifer Sizemore, Public Information Manager at Southern Nevada Health District, said sampling was conducted at the 4,000 room City Center resort after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified her office of cases found in travelers who all had stayed at Aria.

The bacteria grow best in warm water, like the kind found in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, or parts of the air-conditioning systems of large buildings. Indoor ornamental fountains have been confirmed as a cause of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks, in which submerged lighting as a heat source was attributed to the outbreak in all documented cases.

As of Thursday afternoon, no guest or any of the resort’s 7,700 employees had come forward in response to the alert, the Aria press office said. No deaths have been reported. Whew.

In a statement Aria said:

“Aria has in place a water treatment program and, once the initial tests were received, we immediately implemented a comprehensive abatement effort. All subsequent tests have come back with no detectable levels of active Legionella. If anyone has further questions, we have representatives standing by at 1-877-326-ARIA (2742).”

Sizemore told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the CDC cases dated only to April of this year; that means so far, no one has come forward saying he or she contracted Legionnaire’s during the time the samples showing elevated levels of bacteria were taken.

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease typically receive significant media attention. However, this disease usually occurs as single, isolated cases not associated with any recognized outbreak. When outbreaks do occur, they are usually in the summer and early autumn, though cases may occur at any time of year. Most infections occur in those who are middle-age or older.

Patients with Legionnaires’ disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. Some patients also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, loss of coordination (ataxia), and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting. Laboratory tests may show that patients’ renal functions, liver functions and electrolytes are deranged, including hyponatremia. Chest X-rays often show pneumonia with bi-basal consolidation. It is difficult to distinguish Legionnaires’ disease from other types of pneumonia by symptoms or radiologic findings alone; other tests are required for diagnosis.

In Los Angeles, CA, bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease was found in a hot tub at the Playboy Mansion where scores of people became ill after attending a fundraiser in February of 2011. Officials contacted 439 people and found that 123 had fevers and at least one other symptom with 69 falling ill on the same day.

Source: Aria Las Vegas and The Southern Nevada Health District

Written by Sy Kraft