My husband, 52, is a non-smoker, previously healthy, and has contracted Legionnaires’ disease. He has been very ill from it. He uses our hot tub almost daily. I recently swapped out the filter with the alternate filter which I store in an outdoor shed. Also, our pool maintenance man added a floater for the tablets which he had stored at his home. I do not use the tub often, however, before having knowledge of this diagnosis on Sunday, I used the hot tub and now I have a deep moist cough but no fever. I do not want to drain the tub without first discovering if it is the source of LD. How do I go about getting it tested and then how do I effectively disinfect the tub? Of course, I plan to discard both the filter and the floater.
We are skeptical of some reported outbreaks linked to hot tubs. We also know that Legionella can be acquired simply through the home drinking water. But your question is a reasonable one. If you husband has confirmed Legionnaires’ disease, then the physician is required to report the case to the local health department. The health department can decide whether or not to culture the hot tub.