Anyone who vacations in Las Vegas knows something about taking chances. One of the biggest appeals of visiting Vegas is the potential for anything to happen. But, while everyone hopes lady luck smiles on them, realistically the most you\'ll probably return home with is a lighter bank account and a need for sleep. Odds are good, however, that no one expects their vacation souvenir to be a potentially deadly respiratory illness. Yet, recently the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada was linked to six cases of Legionnaires\' disease among guests visiting the resort.
Legionnaires\' disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by the bacterium legionella. What sets this infectious disease apart is that rather than being spread via person-to-person contact, Legionnaires\' disease is spread through legionella-contaminated water vapor or mist. A person who breathes in this mist or vapor is at risk at developing the disease, or the lesser flu-like illness Pontiac Fever. Legionnaires\' was first identified in 1976 after a mysterious illness struck a group of American Legion members attending a conference at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over 200 people were treated for the illness, and 34 deaths were reported. Later that year, the disease and its cause were identified, as well as the realization that it was to blame for many previously misdiagnosed illnesses and deaths. Additionally, for those at the American Legion convention, the method of contamination was identified -- the hotel\'s air conditioning system. Read more >>
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