The Quapaw Baths and Spa on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs closed Saturday after preliminary tests indicated that the bathhouse's water is contaminated with Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires' disease, a National Park Service spokesman said.
Three visitors to the spa in the past year have suffered from Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia that spreads from inhaling Legionella bacteria, according to Brent Everitt, a spokesman for the National Park Service's Midwest Regional Office.
Whether the three cases were a direct result of having visited the spa was unclear, he said.
Hot Springs National Park recently tested water throughout the spa, and preliminary tests returned positive for the bacteria in three inside areas and in a fountain, Everitt said. The spa was immediately closed so officials could begin disinfecting the facility.
The Quapaw Bathhouse opened in 1922 and is the longest building on Bathhouse Row, a collection of historic buildings in the Hot Springs National Park.
People who visited the spa within the past two weeks and experience severe coughing, fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath and headaches were advised to seek medical attention and notify the park management if they test positive for Legionnaires' disease.
Metro on 08/04/2019