ORLANDO, FL -- A woman filed suit last week against LA Fitness, Irvine, CA, after she and two other women contracted Legionnaires’ disease last year at an LA Fitness club in Orlando, FL. Alessia Johnson, 33, is seeking more than $15,000 in damages.
The Orange County (FL) Health Department’s investigation of the LA Fitness shows the victims contracted the disease between June and September of 2008, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The department also said the other two victims are 65 and 70 years old but did not release their names, the newspaper reported. The victims suffered a variety of ailments, including fever symptoms, diarrhea, vomiting and chills.
Improperly maintained pools, hot tubs and systems that provide water to shower heads at clubs are often linked to outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. At the time of inspection, the pool, hot tub and shower heads at the LA Fitness tested negative for bacteria, officials told the newspaper. However, they added that inadequate maintenance at the club’s facilities could have served as a breeding ground for the disease.