As of October 9, officials with the North Carolina Department of Health confirmed 134 cases of Legionnaires’ disease among people who attended or worked at the 2019 NC Mountain State Fair.
The deadly outbreak has claimed two lives and hospitalized 88 people, officials said.
The fair took place from September 6–15, 2019, at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher, North Carolina.
The preliminary investigation suggests that exposure to Legionella bacteria occurred in the Davis Event Center of the WNC Ag Center, particularly near the hot tubs in last five days of the fair.
Hot tubs are a well-known source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks. The problem is that hot tubs aerosolize water droplets that contain Legionella bacteria.
Anyone who attended the NC Mountain State Fair who is experiencing cough, fever, or shortness of breath should call their healthcare provider right away and talk to them about Legionnaire’s disease.
Source: NCDHHS Releases New Information on the Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in WNC