Spa baths 'can cause lung disease'

Dudley Moore enjoys the bubbles in 'Arthur' - but are there hidden health risks?

Regular use of indoor spa baths puts people at risk of lung disease, say researchers.

The bubbles in the hot tubs contain bacteria which are dispersed around the room when they burst, causing respiratory problems, they report.

Bubbles rich with the bacteria rise up, burst and disperse the bacteria throughout a room

Dr Cecile Rose

The jets in the baths create aerosols which carry the bacteria, spreading them around people's homes, according to the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in the US.

Doctors at the centre have recently treated four children for a lung disease caused by nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), which were found in hot tub water or the homes of the people diagnosed.

Unlike its bacterial cousin tuberculosis, which is transmitted by infected humans, NTM is not contagious.

In nature, the bacteria live in brown ocean water, such as tide pools. But indoor hot tubs, which can produce a mist, may be causing this lung disease to become more prevalent, the researchers suggest.

The organisms enter the air when a mist, called aerosolisation, is produced and the bacteria are suspended in water droplets.

Night sweats

People with NTM often suffer from fever, tiredness, night sweats, coughs and weight loss.

Dr Cecile Rose reported the research findings at the American Thoracic Society's international conference.

She said: "The jets from hot tubs aerosolize the bacteria, which is how this becomes a problem.

"Bubbles rich with the bacteria rise up, burst and disperse the bacteria throughout a room."

She added: "For people with mild cases of NTM, removing the hot tub from the home is the primary treatment."

In some of the cases treated by doctors at the centre, steroids or antibiotics were used as treatments.

Microscopic growths

Dr Rose said the respiratory problem was often misdiagnosed as sarcidosis, which is characterised by inflamed, microscopic growths called granulomas most often found in the lungs.

"This disease mimics other granulomatous lung diseases, but few people understand the link between hot tub exposure and the symptoms of disease.

"Because luxury items like hot tubs are becoming more common, I believe there will be an increasing recognition and understanding of the risk associated with their use among doctors and consumers."