2 RIO Guests Contract Legionairres Disease

Poker players staying at the Rio for the 48th annual WSOP in Las Vegas have more to worry about than a run of bad cards as it’s been reported that two recent guests at the hotel/casino were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.

The two afflicted guests succumbed to the disease in separate months - April and May - falling victim to symptoms similar to pneumonia that include fever, shortness of breath, coughing, and muscle aches. Classified as a respiratory illness, Legionnaires’ disease typically attacks sufferers who unwittingly inhale water droplets containing Legionella bacteria whilst taking a hot bath or shower.

Positive Test Causes Action

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionella bacteria spring from freshwater environments such as streams and lakes but don't necessarily become cause for concern until growing and spreading in water systems that are human-made. Those water systems may include the plumbing operations in large buildings, faucets and showers, hot water tanks and heaters, decorative water fountains, and improperly drained hot tubs.

Following confirmation of the Rio guests' ailments, the hotel/casino conducted tests of its water system. A positive reading for Legionella bacteria was the result, forcing the Rio to take extra measures in an effort to stave off additional spreading of the disease, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Those measures include the use of chlorine at elevated temperatures to disinfect hotel rooms and the water system. That remediation process is being conducted under the direction of the Southern Nevada Health District "to ensure the safety of Rio’s water,” said a spokesperson for the hotel's parent company, Caesars Entertainment.

Investigation Continues

It is believed that one particular tower of the Rio is garnering the most attention by state health administrators. Guests have apparently been relocated from the cited troubled areas of the hotel to rooms that are not the central focus of the disinfection procedures.

Previous Rio guests have also been contacted in an attempt to discover if any more cases of Legionnaires’ disease have surfaced. An investigation is ongoing and any guests with questions are invited to phone the Southern Nevada Health District at (702) 759-0999.

The Rio, of course, is currently playing host to the World Series of Poker and hundreds of poker players from around the world have made their way into town to compete in the tournaments and multitude of side games. The first 15 of more than 70 events are in the books with the bulk of the exciting action yet to come.