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ATLANTA, GA – A recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has left one person dead and caused dozens of other guests at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel to fall ill. In fact, the hotel removed all of its guests on July 15 and is still closed as of now.

According to public health officials, over a dozen visitors to the hotel tested positive for Legionnaires’, a bacteria that can cause a severe form of pneumonia. In a filing by an attorney, it’s claimed that hundreds more guests may have been exposed to the spreading illness.

One Dies in Legionnaires’ Outbreak

When guests were finally evacuated from the premises around mid-July, 49-year-old Cameo Garret had already passed away. An autopsy was performed and it revealed the woman had coronary issues as well as Legionnaires’ disease. Garret had arrived at the Sheraton as part of a conference the week prior. This is exactly what happened to Germany Greer. He says he got ill at one point and didn’t even know what his own name was.

“I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to eat. Couldn’t drink because everything was horrible. I was delirious,” Greer said.

Greer attended the same conference as a photographer. He was hired to document the event. However, at one point his fever spiked all the way up to 104.5. He was then kept at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital for four days.

With this specific disease people become sick by inhaling microscopic water droplets that are full with legionella bacteria. Fortunately, the disease is contagious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say one in 10 Legionnaires’ victims will die.

State health officials are currently looking into when Sheraton guests were initially exposed to the disease. However, they’re looking at a time frame of over a month. The hotel will stay closed for sure through Wednesday.