1 Dead, 11 Sickened in Legionnaires' Outbreak Linked to Ga. Hotel

Officials say 61 other cases could be linked to Atlanta Sheraton
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 7, 2019 12:06 AM CDT
Woman Dies in Atlanta Legionnaires' Outbreak
The Sheraton Atlanta Hotel is seen on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia.   (AP Photo/ Ron Harris)

A 49-year-old woman is the first person whose death has been linked to an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease at an Atlanta hotel. Cameo Garrett, who attended a conference at the Sheraton Atlanta, died of coronary heart disease, but DeKalb County Medical Examiner Pat Bailey says the Legionella bacteria may have been a contributing factor, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Georgia Department of Public Health says 11 other cases of the disease have been confirmed among people who attended a conference at the hotel in early June and there are 61 other probable cases of the disease, which is a form of pneumonia that can be spread by contaminated water in places like hot water tanks, reports CNN. Officials say the hotel has voluntarily closed down and hired outside experts to conduct testing. (More Legionnaires' disease stories.)

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