Hotel illness may be fever linked to Legionnaire's

Published on Tuesday 29 March 2011 20:50

Health officials investigating after a large number of people fell ill at a Scottish hotel believe they may be suffering a fever linked to Legionnaire's disease.

Almost 100 guests and staff at the Landmark Dundee have experienced flu-like symptoms over the past few weeks, while one person is being treated in hospital for Legionnaire's after visiting the hotel's leisure club.

NHS Tayside last night said it now believed that many of the victims were likely to have contracted Pontiac fever.

Caused by exposure to legionella bacteria, the fever is normally short-lived and is a milder infection than Legionnaire's disease, which causes pneumonia. No cases have been officially confirmed, as testing involves taking two separate blood tests over a period of two or more weeks.

Dr Finn Romanes, NHS Tayside consultant in public health medicine, said: "To date, 96 people who work in or have visited Landmark Dundee are known to have had a flu-like illness with a respiratory infection.

"The investigation is considering all circumstances surrounding those people we know to have fallen ill. It now appears likely that in a number of cases illness could be caused by a condition called Pontiac fever.

"Pontiac fever is a short-lived, flu-like illness … Symptoms can include fever, headaches and muscle aches … The illness will usually clear up without treatment within two to three days."

Dr Romanes said they were encouraging those who had come forward with flu-like illness to keep in touch with their GP and have follow-up tests.

He added: "Anyone who has experienced symptoms of Legionnaires' disease, including high fever with sweating, severe headache, shortness of breath, pain in the side of the chest, a cough which is either dry or with greenish, thick mucous and muscle aches and pains, and who has visited the Landmark Dundee since the beginning of March, should contact their GP or NHS 24."