Rental Hot Tub Linked to Legionnaires' Disease Cases in New York

A private-use hot tub at a short-term vacation rental property in New York has been identified as the probable source of two Legionnaires' disease cases in family members. Both patients, who had stayed at the property and used the hot tub, received confirmed diagnoses. Whole genome sequencing played a crucial role in linking the cases to Legionella pneumophila detected in water samples from the hot tub. The New York State Department of Health recommended that the owner close the hot tub until appropriate remediation was performed and subsequent testing confirmed the absence of Legionella.