TYLER, Texas (AP) - Authorities say a hot tub display at an East Texas state fair in September is the likely source of contamination which led to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that’s killed one person and sickened seven others.
Officials in Tyler have closed the convention center where the state fair took place.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports officials plan to remediate the convention center’s plumbing system.
This is the second outbreak linked to a state fair in the U.S. this year. Officials in North Carolina say four people have died and nearly 100 were hospitalized after contamination also linked to a hot tub display at a September state fair.
Legionnaire’s is a flu-like illness contracted when infected water vapor is inhaled. The elderly and people with weakened immune systems can be particularly susceptible.
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Information from: Tyler Morning Telegraph, http://www.tylerpaper.com
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