September 22, 2016 - Shelby County health officials have shut down The La Quinta Inn & Suites at 2979 Millbranch near Memphis International Airport linked to an outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)



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By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal

Shelby County health officials shut down a hotel near Memphis International Airport Thursday morning and directed guests to other lodging locations after confirming that five people who stayed there previously had contracted Legionnaires' Disease.

The La Quinta Inn at 2979 Millbranch will remain closed until authorities identify and eliminate the source of bacteria causing the disease, which can cause symptoms similar to those associated with pneumonia, Health Department officials said. The outbreak has prompted a multi-state investigation involving the Tennessee Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said all the guests known to have become infected stayed at the La Quinta during August. She had no information on their conditions.

"In the best interests of the public, the decision was made to close the entire hotel until we have additional information," Haushalter said.

Also known as legionellosis, the illness is caused by a bacteria that can breed in aquatic systems such as air-conditioning facilities, steam rooms and swimming pools, especially when equipment is not properly maintained. It is not passed from person to person; instead, victims get sick after breathing in mist particles containing the bacteria.

Although many people who are exposed to Legionnaires' don't become ill, others may develop symptoms that include shortness of breath, coughing, high fever, headaches and muscle aches. An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 Americans are hospitalized with the illness each year, according to the CDC.

The name of the disease derives from an outbreak at a 1976 American Legion convention in Philadelphia in which more than 200 legionnaires became ill and 34 died.

The department is working with hotel staff to identify the source of the bacteria and how it is being transmitted. Individuals who had reservations at the La Quinta Inn on Millbranch and have experienced any signs or symptoms, should contact the Health Department's Investigation Hotline at (901) 222-9299.

The duration of the hotel's closing "depends on what we find in the environmental assessment that's going on," said David Sweat, chief of epidemiology for the department.

The Health Department learned of the illnesses because Legionnaires' is a reportable disease, meaning doctors, clinics and laboratories are required to notify officials when a case is diagnosed.

The laboratory confirmation of the five cases comes three years after the last reported Legionnaires' outbreak in the county. During the summer of 2013, three people who used the 24 Hour Fitness USA Inc. club at 1285 Ridgeway contracted the illness, prompting the temporary closure of the club's "wet areas" — the pool, steam room and spa — until the problem was eliminated.

Efforts to contact officials in La Quinta's corporate headquarters for a comment were unsuccessful.