Woman died from Legionnaires’ disease after stay at White Mountain hotel, husband says

The family of a woman from Merrimac, Massachusetts, said she died from Legionnaires’ disease just one week after staying at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield.Henry Kruschwitz said his wife, Barbara Kruschwitz, died in October at 71 years old. On Friday, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced two cases of Legionnaires’ disease had been identified in people who stayed at the resort.They said one person had died and the second person, who is from Rhode Island, had been hospitalized.Kruschwitz said she’d gone swimming in the pool and at the hot tub at the resort, but he hadn’t. He said Barbara was a physical therapist who loved yoga and her three sons.He said he believes more should have been done after his wife died to prevent a second person from potentially getting sick.“It’s harder to figure out, kind of fathom, that now that a second person has gotten sick. That’s unacceptable,” Kruschwitz said. “You don’t want to see anybody else go through what I went through.”The shock of losing his wife is still raw. “Her heart had stopped and she couldn’t be revived,” Kruschwitz said. “And — that’s about as much as I can say.”The health department started an investigation at the resort last week.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<The hot tub has been shut down there.At this point, officials don’t know whether these cases are at all related to the water system at the resort.”We want to make people aware of the possibility that there could be a source for the exposure at this resort that we’re investigating. We haven’t identified anything yet,” Dr. Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist, said. The disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which can contaminate water systems. Health officials said people can get sick by inhaling water droplets from showers, hot tubs or faucets.Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches and pneumonia. The symptoms typically develop two to 14 days after exposure.Older people, immunocompromised people, and smokers are generally at higher risk. The most severe form of infection is pneumonia. Chan said that guests should be on the lookout for symptoms, particularly if they’re having more severe symptoms of pneumonia, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath.

The family of a woman from Merrimac, Massachusetts, said she died from Legionnaires’ disease just one week after staying at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield.

Henry Kruschwitz said his wife, Barbara Kruschwitz, died in October at 71 years old.

On Friday, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced two cases of Legionnaires’ disease had been identified in people who stayed at the resort.

They said one person had died and the second person, who is from Rhode Island, had been hospitalized.

Kruschwitz said she’d gone swimming in the pool and at the hot tub at the resort, but he hadn’t.

He said Barbara was a physical therapist who loved yoga and her three sons.

He said he believes more should have been done after his wife died to prevent a second person from potentially getting sick.

“It’s harder to figure out, kind of fathom, that now that a second person has gotten sick. That’s unacceptable,” Kruschwitz said. “You don’t want to see anybody else go through what I went through.”

The shock of losing his wife is still raw.

“Her heart had stopped and she couldn’t be revived,” Kruschwitz said. “And — that’s about as much as I can say.”

The health department started an investigation at the resort last week.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

The hot tub has been shut down there.

At this point, officials don’t know whether these cases are at all related to the water system at the resort.

“We want to make people aware of the possibility that there could be a source for the exposure at this resort that we’re investigating. We haven’t identified anything yet,” Dr. Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist, said.

The disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which can contaminate water systems. Health officials said people can get sick by inhaling water droplets from showers, hot tubs or faucets.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches and pneumonia. The symptoms typically develop two to 14 days after exposure.

Older people, immunocompromised people, and smokers are generally at higher risk. The most severe form of infection is pneumonia. Chan said that guests should be on the lookout for symptoms, particularly if they’re having more severe symptoms of pneumonia, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath.

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