Five people in New Hampshire have developed Legionnaires’ disease after possibly being exposed to contaminated water droplets from a cooling tower.
The bacterial pneumonia, which is caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria, was found in five people between June and July, said the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in a press release on Monday, Aug 12.
An investigation showed that all five individuals may have been exposed to water droplets from a cooling tower behind the RiverWalk Resort in the downtown area of Lincoln, N.H., that tested positive for the bacteria.
“RiverWalk is partnering with DHHS to address the contamination, with additional test results for the cooling tower expected next week,” the press release said.
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The resort also confirmed in a statement that they are “working very closely with state officials” to remediate the situation.
Legionnaires’ disease.
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“Upon discovery, our team immediately took the necessary corrective action to kill any residual bacteria per the state’s guidelines. Based on our engineer’s preliminary tests performed this morning, Tuesday, August 13, remediation appears to have been successful,” their statement posted on Facebook read.
According to NBC News, four of the five infected people were initially hospitalized and later discharged. All five individuals have recovered from the disease, per the outlet.
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The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) noted in its press release that because the cooling tower is “still in operation while remediation is ongoing, there may continue to be some risk of exposure to the public, especially for people within a half-mile of its location.”
New Hampshire State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan advised that people who have visited the area near the contaminated cooling tower should monitor themselves for symptoms.
Legionnaires’ disease.
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“People who develop fever or other symptoms of pneumonia within 14 days after spending time in this area should talk to their healthcare provider about testing for Legionella infection,” Chan said in a statement included in the press release.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, Legionnaires’ disease usually develops two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella bacteria, with an infected individual examining symptoms such as a headache and muscle aches.
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By the second or third day, additional symptoms can include a cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain, per the Mayo Clinic.
Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.
The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.
Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.
“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”
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Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.
“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.
Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.
Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.
“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”
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Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.
“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.
Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.
“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.
It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.
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“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”
Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.
A Massachusetts hiker who set out in warm spring weather was found dead deep in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after a snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the area, authorities said.
Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, was discovered Tuesday evening on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Franconia Notch, about 5.5 miles from his vehicle, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Wood had driven to Franconia Notch on April 17 for a weekend camping and hiking trip, and set out on a hike the next morning in warm, clear weather, officials said. Family and friends last heard from him Saturday afternoon.
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When he failed to return or make contact for two days, officials said relatives reported him missing Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search.
HIKER IDENTIFIED, POPULAR TRAIL CLOSED AFTER DEADLY FALL A UTAH’S ZION NATIONAL PARK
An aerial view of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, where a hiker was found dead on Tuesday.(Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group, File)
Rescuers quickly learned Wood had packed for mild conditions, not the three to five inches of snow that fell in the area between Sunday and Monday.
Fog hovers over a narrow road through Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 2021.(Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)
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Search teams from Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard launched a coordinated effort, focusing on the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond areas.
FAMILY’S SPRING BREAK HIKE TURNS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH RESCUE AFTER PARENT FALLS 70 FEET OFF UTAH CLIFF
Conservation officers located Wood’s body around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday. Crews carried him out overnight, reaching the trailhead shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail are seen in New Hampshire on Sept. 21.(Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
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Since Friday, six hikers from Massachusetts have been rescued in the White Mountains, Fish and Game said.
Officials are reminding hikers that winter conditions still grip the mountains, with snow, freezing temperatures and rapidly changing weather.
Authorities ruled the death of a 62-year-old man who was found stabbed at his home in Laconia, N.H. last week a homicide, prosecutors said Tuesday.
An autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office found that John Anderson died from stab wounds to the neck, the office of Attorney General John M. Formella said in a statement.
Police went to Anderson’s apartment at 217 South Main St. the morning of April 14 for a welfare check when officers discovered his body, Formella’s office said in a previous statement.
No arrests were reported.
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State Police detectives asked the public for information about Anderson’s movements or activity at his home from April 12 to April 14.
Anderson’s death was the first of two homicides in Laconia on April 14.
Linda Dionne, 58, was found dead at 52 Old Prescott Hill Road around 1:40 p.m., Formella’s office said. An autopsy showed she died of strangulation.
Dionne’s son Christopher Garon, 32, was at the scene and shortly arrested and charged with second-degree murder, officials said.
Chloe Pisani can be reached at chloe.pisani@globe.com.
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