Which disease is most likely to be acquired from a hot tub or whirlpool?

Which disease is most likely to be acquired from a hot tub or whirlpool?

• A. Q fever
• B. Pseudomonas dermatitis
• C. Erysipelas
• D. Acinetobacter cellulitis

Answer: (B)

Hot tubs and whirlpools provide warm, moist conditions that favor growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When people soak, this organism can infect hair follicles, leading to a pruritic, pustular eruption known as pseudomonas dermatitis or hot-tub folliculitis. It’s the classic infection linked to exposure to inadequately cleaned or poorly chlorinated spa water. The other options don’t fit this scenario: Q fever comes from inhaling contaminated animal aerosols, erysipelas is a superficial streptococcal skin infection, and Acinetobacter cellulitis isn’t characteristically tied to hot-tub exposure.

Hot tubs and whirlpools provide warm, moist conditions that favor growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When people soak, this organism can infect hair follicles, leading to a pruritic, pustular eruption known as pseudomonas dermatitis or hot-tub folliculitis. It’s the classic infection linked to exposure to inadequately cleaned or poorly chlorinated spa water. The other options don’t fit this scenario: Q fever comes from inhaling contaminated animal aerosols, erysipelas is a superficial streptococcal skin infection, and Acinetobacter cellulitis isn’t characteristically tied to hot-tub exposure.