1 Dead, Several Sick from North Carolina Legionnaires’ Outbreak

September 27, 2019

Health officials in western North Carolina say one person has died from Legionnaires’ disease and several others have been sickened.

Kim Horton is a spokeswoman for the Henderson County Department of Public Health. She tells the Citizen Times one person has died from the airborne disease.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release earlier this week that it is working with the health departments in Buncombe and Henderson counties to investigate multiple cases of Legionnaires’ reported in individuals who attended a fair in Fletcher earlier in the month.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said in the news release that officials don’t know whether people were exposed to Legionella bacteria at the fair.

Legionnaires’ is a form of bacterial pneumonia. It’s a serious illness but can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

Topics North Carolina

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