Ukiah's Discovery Inn cooperating with Legionnaires' disease investigation

The management at Discovery Inn in Ukiah said Wednesday they are fully cooperating with Mendocino County public health officials investigating cases of Legionnaires’ disease they suspect may be tied to the hotel’s water systems. Samples of the hotel’s water are being analyzed.

The county Health and Human Services Agency reported Monday that three people were recently hospitalized with the potentially fatal illness, though two have already been discharged. County public health officials are focusing on the hotel’s water system as a common tie between the patients.

Al Jivan, manager of the Discovery Inn, said Wednesday that he expects the results of the tests to come back negative. The hotel has never had any problems with Legionnaires’ disease or any other illness caused by unsanitary conditions, he said.

“There hasn’t been an issue that’s come up,” Jivan said. “We’ve had no complaints. … I assure you, we are a pretty sanitary hotel.”

David Jensen, environmental health director for Mendocino County, said Wednesday that water samples were taken Tuesday and have been sent to a lab for testing. It usually takes two weeks for test results to come back, he said.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia that is transmitted by inhaling airborne water droplets containing the bacterium known as legionella; it is not spread from person to person. The illness often is cured through the prompt use of antibiotics but can be fatal if left untreated.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, legionella bacteria grow best in warm water, such as that found in hot tubs, cooling towers, large plumbing systems and decorative fountains.

An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people in the United States are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year, according to the CDC. But only about 3,000 cases are reported each year to the federal agency.

Jivan described the county’s investigation as a “cautionary step” aimed at determining whether there is anything wrong with the hotel water supplies. Jivan said he was informed by the county that “preliminary tests” taken at the hotel have turned up negative.

But Jensen said Wednesday there “have been no preliminary tests” conducted.

“Yesterday we collected water samples from several parts of the complex, as well as swab or wipe samples,” Jensen said. “We sent them to a lab to be tested for legionella bacteria.”

Jensen said he received confirmation Wednesday morning that the samples had been received by the lab and the results would be available Aug. 20. He said the county sampled various water sources at the hotel, including spas, drinking water, the ice machine, showers, air conditioners and hot water heaters.

Mendocino County health officials said earlier this week that most people who are exposed to legionella bacteria do not become ill. Those who are at risk of infection, including smokers with suppressed or compromised immune systems, should take care to avoid high-risk exposures, such as hot tubs, officials said.

The symptoms - which usually begin two to 14 days after being exposed to the bacteria - are similar to other forms of pneumonia, such as cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle aches and headaches.

Legionella bacteria also can cause a milder infection known as Pontiac fever, which usually lasts two to five days, clears up without treatment and does not lead to pneumonia.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com.