OCOEE, Fla. — Channel 9 has learned the Orange County Health Department is investigating possible Legionnaires’ Disease cases in Ocoee.
Legionnaires’ is a severe form of pneumonia that in some cases can lead to hospitalization.
Crunch Fitness on Silver Star Road in Ocoee confirmed with Channel 9 on Wednesday that it is working with health officials and chose to close off parts of the gym to test the water.
We spoke with one Ocoee woman who says she was hospitalized with Legionnaires’. She said she went to the Ocoee Crunch Fitness location.
Crunch Fitness tells Channel 9 that it is cooperating with health officials to determine the source of the illness, but so far, it has not been informed if the source is at its facility.
“I was short of breath, body ache, fever uncontrolled,” Marissa said.
Marissa says her doctor sent her home last Tuesday after she tested negative for COVID and the flu.
But two days later, she ended up in the hospital.
“They put me right away in oxygen and took a whole bunch of tests on me,” Marissa said.
Marrisa says she was later diagnosed with Legionnaires’ Disease. It is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a specific bacterium, which is commonly found in water systems, such as showers and faucets, as well as in large air conditioning systems.
The Orange County Health Department states that it is not transmitted person-to-person, but it can be transmitted through water particles.
Marissa says she had no idea where she contracted the illness, but her doctor asked her specific questions about her Ocoee gym.
Crunch Fitness remained opened Wednesday and say “out of an abundance of caution,” the gym is conducting “thorough water testing” of its pool and spa systems through “certified third party specialists.”
But so far, Crunch Fitness says it has not been made aware of a confirmed source of the illness.
Channel 9 learned in 2017, when the building was an LA Fitness, health officials investigated three cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Health officials said at the time that all three had worked out at LA Fitness.
Crunch says prior to its opening of this location in 2024, it spent over $5 million renovating and remodeling, including HVAC and aquatic systems.
Marissa says Crunch should take more action.
“I don’t know what they’re waiting for,” Marissa said. “Get to the bottom of it.”
We asked the Health Department if there are so many questions and ongoing tests, why they wouldn’t shut down the facility to reduce the risk.
The Health Department says it does not comment on ongoing epidemiology investigations.
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