Authorities warned residents of Lincoln, New Hampshire, to monitor themselves for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease after five people became ill in June and July.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services on Monday linked the outbreak of bacterial pneumonia — caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria — to a cooling tower behind the RiverWalk Resort in downtown Lincoln.
“Anyone who has visited the area near the contaminated cooling tower should monitor themselves for symptoms,” Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire state epidemiologist, said in a DHHS statement.
“People who develop a fever or other symptoms of pneumonia within 14 days of spending time in this area should talk to their healthcare provider about testing for legionella infection,” he added.
The cooling tower has been cleaned up and put back into service after discussion with state officials, RiverWalk Vice President Renee Blood told ABC News affiliate WMUR.
“Out of an abundance of caution, additional testing will be performed later this week,” Blood told WMUR. Test results are expected next week.
DHHS said the cooling tower’s continued operation could pose additional exposure risks, particularly to people within a half-mile of the facility.
“Anyone visiting the designated area should assess their health risk,” DHHS said. “Those who are older, are current or former smokers, have weakened immune systems, or have certain medical conditions such as chronic lung disease and diabetes are at higher risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease.”
Symptoms usually begin between two and 14 days after exposure and may include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The bacteria can also cause severe pneumonia, the stage known as Legionnaires’ disease. The condition can be fatal if left untreated.
However, DHHS noted that most healthy people exposed to legionella bacteria do not become ill.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.