Hot tub at Kennewick gym confirmed Legionnaire’s source

The spa area at a Kennewick gym has been linked to three Legionnaire’s disease infections, the Benton-Franklin Health District announced Tuesday.

Samples taken from the hot tub at Gold’s Gym tested positive for Legionella bacteria, the district reported.

In response, the gym has sanitized its spa facilities and “taken the extra step to install a new hot tub filtration system,” owner Bryce Berry said in a statement.

“We will continue to work with the health district on additional testing and are confident we’ll be able to re-open this area of the gym soon,” Berry said.

The health district took samples from the the hot tub last month after two gym members came down with Legionnaire’s disease, a kind of pneumonia.

A third gym member also eventually was diagnosed. All three recovered.

“The only commonality that we were able to identify between the women who got sick was the spa and pool area at Gold’s Gym in Kennewick. The positive results for Legionella tell us that the spa was the source of the bacteria,” said Rick Dawson, senior manager for surveillance and investigation at the health district, in a statement.

The gym owners closed down the spa while testing was done, and the health district has provided procedures for decontamination and follow-up testing, the district’s statement said.

Most people who are exposed to Legionella bacteria don’t get sick, but infection can be serious. Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.

People contract Legionnaire’s by breathing in droplets of contaminated water, including from hot tubs.

For more information, call the health district at 509-460-4200 or go to cdc.gov/legionella/index.html.

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Hot tub at Kennewick gym confirmed Legionnaire’s source."