A La Quinta Inn in Memphis, Tenn., has been closed by Shelby County Health officials after five hotel guests contracted Legionnaires' disease, according to The Commercial Appeal.
The hotel will remain closed until the bacterial source of the outbreak is established and eliminated. The outbreak has prompted an investigation involving both the Tennessee Department of Health and the CDC.
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by in Legionella bacteria. It can be contracted by inhaling mist from infected water sources such as air-conditioning facilities, steam rooms and plumbing systems. It is not spread by person-to-person contact or by drinking water.
A recent Legionnaires' outbreak in Minnesota has infected more than a dozen people, resulting in one death.
More articles on infection control:
Mysterious polio-like illness on the rise in 2016
Nearly 800 infected in Ohio diarrheal disease outbreak
UN makes historic move on antibiotic resistance: 5 things to know