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MEREDITH, N.H. (WBZNewsRadio) - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) is out with a new warning after five people, who all stayed at the Meredith Woods and Clearwater Campground, have contracted Legionnaire's disease.
All five people were hospitalized with the potentially serious bacterial pneumonia after staying at the Meredith, New Hampshire site between early fall 2021 and January 2023. Now authorities are asking anyone who was diagnosed with the disease after visiting the campground to contact state officials to aid in the ongoing investigation.
“Anybody choosing to stay at this facility should be aware of the ongoing outbreak investigation and potential risk for exposure to Legionella bacteria through the facility’s water system,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. “We are working with the facility and NHDES to implement a water management plan, prevent further water system contamination, and prevent future Legionella infections. Anybody who has stayed at this facility in the last couple of weeks and develops pneumonia or fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, headache and muscles aches, should talk to their healthcare provider about testing for Legionella infection, which can impact treatment decisions.”
Officials have begun environmental testing at the facility and found the water system at several locations to be contaminated with the bacteria. Now state officials are working alongside the facility ownership and an outside environmental consultant to come up with the water prevention and management plan moving forward.
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. People become infected from inhaling contaminated water droplets from things like showers, hot tubs, misters, cooling towers and decorative fountains. Legionnaires' is not spread by drinking or swimming in contaminated water and is not typically spread from person to person.
State officials are asking anyone who may have been impacted by this outbreak to call the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services (NH DPHS) Bureau of Infectious Disease Control (BIDC) by calling 603-271-4496
WBZ's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports
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