By WJBC Newsroom
LINCOLN – The Logan County Department of Public Health is investigating multiple reports of rash illnesses that may be linked to a swimming pool or hot tub at a Lincoln hotel.
In a post on social media today Thursday, the health department said its investigating an outbreak of “hot tub rash” linked to recreational water at the Hampton Inn in Lincoln.
Symptoms of “hot tub rash” normally appear within a few days of water exposure and include an itchy rash.
The Logan County Health Department believes the outbreak occurred around January 19-20, but investigators have not identified a specific cause.
The agency is asking health care providers to report any cases of the rash from people who swam or used the hot tub at the Hampton Inn.
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Logan County Department of Public Health News Release:
The Logan Department of Public Health is investigating multiple reports of rash illnesses in persons who had contact with recreational water at the Hampton Inn in Lincoln, Illinois on January 19 or 20, 2019. Additional case finding is on-going to identify other illnesses and dates of exposure.
Based on the reported symptoms and onsets, the illnesses are suspected to be Pseudomonas dermatitis/folliculitis, also known as “hot tub rash”, although it has not been lab confirmed. Symptoms of Pseudomonas dermatitis/folliculitis appear within a few days of water exposure and include an itchy pustular rash.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative rod and is often the cause of hot tub rash when contaminated water comes in contact with a person’s skin for a long period of time. Pseudomonas dermatitis and otitis externa outbreaks associated with swimming pool and hot tub use are well described in the literature.
Health care providers are asked to report any cases of rash illness who report recreational water exposure at the Hampton Inn in Lincoln, Illinois during January 2019 to the Logan County Health Department at 217-735-2317.
