CENTRAL FLORIDA — Florida health officials have confirmed 14 cases of Legionnaire’s disease in Central Florida, all connected to exposure at a gym.
The Florida Department of Health shared this information in an email to State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, obtained by Channel 9. The specific gym was not named in the email.
Last week, Channel 9 reported that some members of Crunch Fitness on East Silver Star Road in Ocoee had been diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease. Crunch Fitness said it is cooperating with the Health Department during the investigation.
Legionnaire’s disease is a severe form of pneumonia that can sometimes be deadly, though it is often mild. It is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which can grow in water systems such as showers, faucets, and large air conditioning systems. The Orange County Health Department noted the disease is not transmitted person-to-person, but can be spread through contaminated water particles.
Crunch Fitness said it closed off parts of the gym and is conducting “thorough water testing” of its pool and spa systems through certified third-party specialists as a precaution. So far, the gym has not been informed of a confirmed source of the outbreak.
In 2017, when the building was previously an LA Fitness, health officials investigated three cases of Legionnaire’s disease, all of whom had worked out at that location.
Crunch Fitness opened its location in 2024 after investing over $5 million in renovations and remodeling, including updates to HVAC and aquatic systems.
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