A Burton hotel forced to close when two people were diagnosed with legionnaires' disease after staying there has now partly reopened.

The Three Queens Hotel, in Bridge Street, has now partly reopened its doors after it was closed earlier this month as a precaution on the advice of health professionals from Public Health England.

Tests and remedial work have been ongoing at the hotel to overhaul the plumbing system and clear the water supply of the legionella bacteria, but it will not be opened completely until the water is clear of the bacteria, said a health spokesman.

The Three Queens Hotel in Burton
The Three Queens Hotel in Burton

The closure comes after one person, a guest from Nottingham, was diagnosed with the disease in January this year and another woman from Bridlington, in East Yorkshire, who is still seriously ill as a result, was diagnosed in September.

The second woman, who does not wish to be named, now has double pneumonia as a result of the disease. She spent three weeks in hospital hooked up to a drip and on constant oxygen. Now back at home she is bedbound and still struggling to breathe.

After the work has been completed on the hotel a detailed management plan will also be put in place to control the risk of any of the bacteria returning.

The Three Queens Hotel in Burton
Two guests of the Three Queens Hotel, in Burton, have contracted legionnaires' disease

What is legionnaires' disease?

Legionnaires' disease is a rare but potentially life-threatening illness. Early symptoms include a "flu-like" illness with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever which can then lead to pneumonia. As with any pneumonia, the patient can become very unwell.

Diarrhoea and/or confusion may occur, as well as chest and breathing symptoms. It can be effectively treated with a course of antibiotics.

Legionella bacteria are widely distributed in the environment. They have been found in hot and cold water systems and in some forms of industrial and commercial water cooling systems. Infection can be spread through aerosols from such water sources.

The majority of cases are reported as single cases but outbreaks can occur. There are 350 to 400 cases a year reported in England and Wales, mainly in older adults.

Who is affected?

All ages can be affected but the disease mainly affects people over 50 years of age and generally men rather than women. Smokers and those with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk.

Can you die from it?

Deaths occur in 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the general population and may be higher in some groups of patients.

Why is it called legionnaires' disease?

An outbreak of this disease occurred in Philadelphia in 1976 among legionnaires attending a state convention of the American Legion and led to naming the disease after this group. Subsequently, the bacterium causing the illness was identified and named legionella pneumophila.

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