Guests Exposed to Legionnaires' Disease Bacteria at Las Vegas' Aria
ARIA Resort & Casino CityCenter, Las Vegas
Updated: 07/14/2011 10:15AM PST
A message from ARIA:
In cooperation with the Southern Nevada Health District, ARIA Resort is contacting guests who may have stayed with us from June 21 to July 4 at a time when water tests detected elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in several of our guest rooms.
Health officials have recently notified us of a few reported instances of guests who visited ARIA, were diagnosed with, treated for, and recovered from Legionnaires' disease (a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria). In an abundance of caution, we are attempting to notify guests who may have been exposed to these bacteria during this short period.
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).
ARIA letter from Paul Berry
Important Facts About Legionella:
Legionella is naturally occurring in nature, found in most water supplies and only causes illness when breathed in as a mist or vapor.
Most people exposed to Legionella do not get sick.
Legionella can cause a respiratory illness similar to pneumonia. Most cases can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
Symptoms of Legionellosis can include high fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches.
Symptoms usually begin 2 to 14 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
Some people in certain categories can be at higher risk of infection due to a chronic illness, respiratory disease, or compromised immune system or if they are a smoker or elderly.
Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Healthy people usually recover from infection.
The bacteria are NOT spread from one person to another person. You cannot catch it from another person. A person diagnosed with Legionellosis is not a threat to family members or others who share office space or other areas with him or her.
If a former guest has developed any combination of these symptoms, we encourage them to see their doctor.
Legionella is a concern for all large buildings – hotels, hospitals, schools – with large common water systems.
ARIA has an ongoing, comprehensive water management program in place, which includes regular testing for Legionella. After recent elevated test results, ARIA implemented additional precautionary measures – superheating and chemical treatment of water systems.
Most recent test results show no detectible level of active Legionella present in any of the locations tested. We continue to work with the Southern Nevada Health District to monitor ongoing test results.
Additional information on Legionella is available on the Southern Nevada Health District website, www.SNHD.info, or by calling the Health District's information line, (702) 759-INFO (4636) or toll free (866) 767-5038.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What should I do if I recently stayed at or visited ARIA and have illness symptoms?
If you start to feel ill, contact a doctor. If your doctor feels it is necessary, they may run a test to determine the cause of any illness and if it is from Legionella. Most healthy people are successfully treated for Legionellosis with antibiotics.
What precautionary measures do you have in place so that this doesn't happen again?
ARIA has a comprehensive water management program in place, which includes regular testing for Legionella. After recent elevated test results, ARIA implemented additional precautionary measures including superheating and chemical treatment of water systems.
Most recent test results at ARIA show no detectible level of active Legionella present in any of the locations tested. We continue to work closely with the Southern Nevada Health District to monitor ongoing test results.
Water features and Air Conditioning systems at ARIA have been tested and produced clean results.
Where can I go for more information about Legionnaires' disease?
Contact your doctor or the Southern Nevada Health District website at http://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/health-topics/legionellosis.php, or by calling the Health District's information line, (702) 759-INFO (4636) or toll free at (866) 767-5038.
Is Legionnaires' disease contagious?
The bacteria are NOT spread from one person to another person. You cannot catch it from another person. A person diagnosed with Legionellosis is not a threat to family members or others who share office space or other areas with him or her.
Do you know which rooms were contaminated?
We are aware that several guest rooms registered elevated levels of the bacteria, but testing on those rooms have since showed no reason for any concern. We have taken measures to eliminate high levels of the bacteria throughout our entire building. Results of ongoing testing shows no levels of Legionella. We will continue to work with Southern Nevada Health District to monitor and conduct future testing.
How many people got sick?
We don't know. We have been told that a few people who got sick may have been exposed to the bacteria at ARIA. But we haven't received any complaints from customers.
When did these people become sick?
In an abundance of caution, we are attempting to notify guests who may have been exposed to these bacteria during this short period, from June 21 to July 4.
Was the elevated bacteria found at other hotels on the City Center campus such as Vdara or Mandarin?
No the elevated results were only found at the ARIA Resort and Casino. Current tests at ARIA show no elevated levels of the bacteria.
Who can I call at ARIA for questions regarding this notice?
Please call 1-877-326-ARIA (2742) to speak directly with our staff about this issue.
By Matt Alderton
July 15, 2011
Guests who stayed at Aria Resort & Casino at Las Vegas' City Center from June 21 to July 4 may have been exposed to the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, a form of pneumonia, the resort announced this week in a letter that was mailed to 18,000 guests who stayed at Aria last month.
"In cooperation with the Southern Nevada Health District, Aria Resort is contacting guests who may have stayed with us from June 21 to July 4 at a time when water tests detected elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in several of our guest rooms," reads a statement from the hotel, which has created a special website with information on the diseases. "Health officials have recently notified us of a few reported instances of guests who visited Aria, were diagnosed with, treated for and recovered from Legionnaires' disease (a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria). In an abundance of caution, we are attempting to notify guests who may have been exposed to these bacteria during this short period."
The bacteria likely were present in hot water that was distributed via showers and spas. Aria, which has in place a water treatment program, said it implemented a comprehensive abatement effort — it chlorinated and super-heated the water — as soon as initial test results were received. All subsequent tests have therefore come back with "no detectable levels" of active Legionella.
According to local TV news station KLAS-TV, no one who stayed at the hotel during the June-July time period has reported being sick. However, six people who stayed at Aria between December 2009 and April 2011 contracted Legionnaires' disease by inhaling the bacteria from the hotel's water.
The disease, which was named in 1976 when an outbreak of pneumonia spread among people attending a convention of the American Legion in Philadelphia, causes a respiratory illness that can typically be treated with antibiotics. Symptoms usually begin two to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria and include high fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches. Although the disease can be fatal — smokers, young children, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system are most susceptible to chronic illness — most healthy people recover from infection.
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