North Carolina health officials reported 116 Legionnaires' disease cases tied to the N.C. Mountain State Fair Oct. 1, marking an eight-case increase from the day prior.
Fifteen cases were initially reported Sept. 23. One person has died from the disease as of Oct. 1, and 65 percent of patients required hospitalization. Afflicted individuals are between 24- and 90-years-old.
Health officials discovered that seven confirmed cases are actually Pontiac Fever, a milder illness caused by Legionella, the same bacteria responsible for Legionnaires' disease. The exact source of the outbreak is still unknown.
Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac Fever are contracted when water droplets containing Legionella bacteria are inhaled. Ten percent of people who contract Legionnaires' die, according to the CDC. Since 2000, the rate of reported cases has risen by 550 percent.