Hannibal hotel closes after Legionnaires' bacteria found

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- A hotel in northeast Missouri's Hannibal is temporarily closed after health officials found evidence of the respiratory-related Legionnaires' disease there.

The Hannibal Courier-Post reported the Best Western in Hannibal closed last week after state and federal health officials said samples taken from there Nov. 10 tested positive for Legionella bacteria.

There are no immediate reports of any illnesses linked to the hotel and the bacteria.

The illness is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria that infect the lungs. Named after a 1976 outbreak among participants of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, the disease can cause coughs, breathing trouble, fever and muscle aches.

People can get sick if they inhale mist or vapor from contaminated water systems, hot tubs and other typical sources.

Information from: Hannibal Courier-Post, http://www.hannibal.net