Five people who developed Legionnaires disease in Lincoln

LINCOLN, N.H. (AP) — Five people who developed Legionnaires’ disease in Lincoln, New Hampshire, may have been exposed to contaminated water droplets from a cooling tower behind a resort, the state health department said Monday. The five developed the bacterial pneumonia in June and July. It is caused by inhaling contaminated water droplets from showers, hot tubs, faucets, cooling towers, misters, and decorative fountains, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release. Testing confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria contaminating the cooling tower at the RiverWalk Resort in Lincoln, the department said. The resort has partnered with the department to address the contamination; additional test results for the tower are expected next week, the department said.