Health authorities are looking at airborne droplets from water rides as a possible source of the outbreak
FRIDAY, Sept. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease tied to the North Carolina Mountain State fair has risen to 25, with one death, according to the state division of public health.
The cause of the outbreak is still being investigated, but many of those sickened went to the fair in Fletcher between Sept. 6 and 15, CNN reported. State health officials are asking anyone who went to the fair who is suffering from cough, fever, or shortness of breath to call their doctor about Legionnaires’ disease.
Health authorities are looking at airborne droplets from water rides as a possible source of the outbreak, Kelly Haight Connor, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, told CNN.
So far, 22 people ranging in age from 37 to 90, have been hospitalized, health officials say. About 7,500 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were seen in 2017, but because many cases are not reported, the real number is likely higher and the rate of people who get the disease has gone up 550 percent since 2000, according to the CDC.
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More Information: CDC
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