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The Latest On The Epic Case Of Legionnaires' Disease At The EPIC

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 270 Biscayne Blvd Way [map], Miami, FL, United States, 33131
September 1, 2010 at 1:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

It looks like the poor EPIC Hotel can't quite shake off the effects from last year's Legionnaires' bug. Today's Miami Herald has a report on the Miami-Dade County Health Department's study into the case and it turns out that there was Legionella bacteria found in the hotel's water system.

While this was the initial suspicion when guests first became ill last December, the health department subsequently cleared the hotel of any responsibility. The EPIC moved its guests to the Intercontinental during the investigation and reopened two weeks later.

In the study released yesterday:

county health officials said they were not able to prove "100 percent" that the filtered water at the hotel caused the disease [but] Legionella bacteria was found in 23 of 25 cultures collected by the hotel's contractor. Similar results were found in the health department samples.

The county investigation also found that the hotel's filtration system "basically dechlorinated the water [provided] from the county," allowing the bacteria to grow, said Samir Elmir, director of the health department's environmental health and engineering division.

Investigators did not blame the hotel for the death of one guest, or seven confirmed and three "probable" cases of people who contracted Legionnaires' after staying at EPIC—and claimed that their testing suffered from a lack of participation from other guests and hotel staff.

This may all sound pretty dim and dire, but health officials also praised EPIC's owner and management for their speedy reaction to the situation and efforts to disinfect the water supply for the hotel.

EPIC was back in business quick smart—in Miami's high season and in time for the Super Bowl, no less—and judging by the hotel's TripAdvisor reviews, the health scare hasn't left any scars.

Hotels mentioned in this story

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