Mass. resident dies from Legionnaires’ disease after visiting N.H. resort

Two people contracted Legionnaires’ disease — and one of them died — after recent stays at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, New Hampshire, according to state health officials.

The person who died was a Massachusetts resident, officials said. The other, who was hospitalized and released, lives in Rhode Island. The two people visited the hotel at different times and were not connected to each other.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria that causes it can sometimes grow in water systems and infect people when they breathe in small droplets.

Older adults, current or former smokers, people with weakened immune systems and people with chronic lung disease are among those at highest risk, according to the CDC.

New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services is still investigating how the people who fell ill after visiting the resort were exposed. An agency spokesperson said they expected more definitive results later this week or early next week. In the meantime, the resort’s hot tub has been closed as a precaution.

The department sent an alert to health care providers on Friday, advising them to consider Legionnaires’ disease when evaluating cases of pneumonia and to ask patients about any travel, including local travel, in the 14 days before symptoms began.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and headaches, according to the alert. They typically begin two to 14 days after exposure.

In a statement, resort staff said they are continuing to follow “stringent and consistent” health and safety protocols while waiting for test results.

“Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa is fiercely committed to the well-being of all those who walk through the door,” their statement said. “The state confirmed they cannot be certain where these individuals contracted their infection, and we are working closely with the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services and New Hampshire Department of Environmental services to determine if the two individuals were affected as a result of visiting the property in Fall of 2023.”

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New Hampshire Public Radio.