Legionnaires’ outbreak on 2 separate cruises linked back to this private luxury amenity: report
They got more than they paid extra for.
A dozen cruise ship passengers were sickened by Legionnaires’ disease — including 10 who were hospitalized — on two different ships, and health experts believe a private luxury amenity is the source, according to a new report.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked the serious pneumonia-like sickness back to private balcony hot tubs offered on the higher-end cabins inside the two vessels, according to the study published last week.
The vacationers were sickened on the two different boats — from unidentified cruise lines — between November 2022 and this past July.
After months of testing, the private hot tubs — which are not required to undergo as frequent and stringent cleaning and maintenance as their public counterparts — were found to be the source of the nasty outbreaks, the CDC said in its report.
Eight passengers on one cruise ship contracted Legionnaires’ disease while four were infected on the other boat. Some of the travelers became ill on the same voyage while others got sick on the same ship but during a different trip.
The hot tubs apparently created the perfect environment for the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease for several months without detection.
On the first ship, the private balcony hot tubs “were found to be operating for months in a manner conducive to Legionella growth, which included maintaining a water temperature in the Legionella growth range (77°F–113°F) for multiple days without draining and operating with no residual disinfectant,” the CDC said.
Six of the 10 private balcony hot tubs on the first ship were positive for Legionella bacteria, and all eight private balcony hot tubs on the second ship were positive for Legionella bacteria, according to testing results.
All the hot tubs were closed and thoroughly cleaned. Both cruise ships have since implemented more preventative measures including only filling the tubs upon guest request, draining them between uses, more frequent cleaning and disinfecting and the removal of heating elements.
Hot tubs — on cruise ships or elsewhere — are often perfect breeding grounds for Legionella bacteria.
But cruises are also known to be drivers of outbreaks of different viruses and diseases due to the tight proximity of guests in a closed-off environment.
At the end of last month, 180 Royal Caribbean cruise passengers and three crew members came down with a gastrointestinal illness featuring unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal cramps, according to the CDC.
