Volume 47 Number 11 Focus Update: Hot Tub Lung Initially easy to
misdiagnose, by the time doctors know whats causing the problem,
Hot Tub Lung can be a serious ailment that requires
hospitalization and a heavy antibiotic regimen. In the past six
months, more than a dozen people in the U.S. have been diagnosed
with the infectious agent that leads to Hot Tub Lung. For all
its potential dangers and recent press, it remains a relatively
uncommon upper respiratory infection. But as the cases of Hot
Tub Lung increase throughout America, many of the 3.3 million
spa owners who typically use their hot tub for a relaxing
respite are beginning to question its safety and are seeking out
water treatment professionals for answers. Hot Tub Lung is
caused by the infectious agent Mycobaterium avium, part of the
Mycobactirum avium complex (MAC) normally present in the
environment. Typically, the growth of M. avium is mitigated by
cooler, dry temperatures. A hot tub provides ideal conditions
for rapid reproduction of M. avium(a