The Macau Health Bureau has reportedly linked three confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease to the Parisian Macao.
Located in the Cotai district of Macau, the owner and operator of the Paris-themed mega resort, Sands China Ltd (HKSE: 1928), reportedly confirmed to GGRAsia that health authorities from the special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China had contacted it regarding the matter. The Macau-based news agency reports that Sands said in an emailed reply that it was cooperating fully with the bureau’s investigations.
According to the news agency, the reply stated, “As we currently have no other details, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
In a press release issued by the Macau Health Bureau on Saturday, it confirmed that three Hong Kong men that had reportedly stayed at the Parisian Macao were diagnosed with the disease caused by legionella bacteria. The health bureau stated that according to the Parisian Macao’s hotel records and information received from authorities in Hong Kong, where the three men are being treated, of the three, one man spent a night at the casino resort in December 2016 and more recently one in January and the other in March.
Over the weekend, authorities in Hong Kong said that one of the three infected men has already been released from the hospital, however, one remains in critical condition and the third is in serious condition.
According to the press release, in addition to the Parisian Macao’s pipe system, the Health Bureau said that a series of inspections had been conducted on swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and fountains at the property. A deep cleaning of the property’s pipe system and all of its Jacuzzis was ordered by the health Bureau. Additionally, as part of the investigations, the bureau stated that a collection of water samples were obtained from various areas of the Parisian Macao in order to locate the source of the infections. Those results should, according to the release, be available in 10 days.
The press release goes on to state that operations at the swimming pool area of the property were temporarily suspended so that it could be disinfected. According to the new agency, there was no mention in the release of when the facilities might reopen to the public.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. The bacterium grows best in warm water and can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-made water systems such as large plumbing systems, unattended hot tubs, air-conditioning units for large buildings, decorative fountains and water features, and hot water tanks and heaters. The disease requires treatment with antibiotics and in most cases can be treated successfully. Complications of Legionnaires’ disease include lung failure and even death.
The US$2.7-billion 3,000-room Parisian Macao was launched in September 2016, with 1,600 slot machines and 410 gambling tables, and 3,000 luxury hotel rooms and suites.