ATLANTA — The Sheraton Atlanta will be closed for the next several weeks following reported cases of Legionnaires' disease inside of the hotel.
Legionnaires' disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by bacteria known as Legionella.
This is what we know about the Atlanta Sheraton's Legionnaires disease investigation
- There were 11 confirmed cases of the disease at the hotel. The 11 confirmed cases, so far, involve people who were guests at the hotel in late June and early July.
- The hotel will be closed for "several" weeks. The hotel decided Monday afternoon to close voluntarily, immediately, and relocated guests to nearby hotels.
- The hotel waited to close. The hotel knew for three days that a few past guests had contacted Legionnaires' Disease before the hotel decided to close. The Georgia Department of Public Health contacted the hotel Friday afternoon. According to state officials, it's standard protocol to try to confine the contamination. Therefore, the hotel closed only the areas around the swimming pool.
- Two agencies are working on the investigation. The Georgia Department of Public Health is working with the Fulton County Board of Health to investigate reported cases of Legionella related to the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Atlanta, according to officials.
- Guests were relocated back to the Hilton. A computer conference was taking place at the hotel and some guests tell 11Alive, at that time they weren't told why they were being moved.
This is what we know about the Legionnaires concern.
- Legionnaires isn't contagious. However, people can catch the disease by inhaling teh bacteria in a public place. It can't be passed by skin to skin contact.
- Doctors can use devices to check for the disease. Doctors use chest x-rays or physical exams to check for pneumonia.
- It can be treated with antibiotics.Most people who get sick need hospitalization, but make a full recovery.
- This isn't the first time a disease has made it's way into an Atlanta estblashimnet. In 2016, four employees at Lockheed Martin came down with the disease over a 12 month period.
MORE STORIES FOLLOWING THE LEGIONNAIRES INVESTIGATION