An Orange County gym linked to a reported outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease said Sunday the state health department found no such bacteria at its Ocoee location.
Concern began last week when Florida health officials reported a recent increase in infections from Legionella bacteria in Orange County, and the state sent an advisory to health care providers in the area. The Sentinel obtained information last week that the health department confirmed 14 recent cases of the disease here were known to have had “gym exposure.”
The information did not identify the gym by name, but said the facility had been inspected and a spa had been closed. Meanwhile, two patrons of the Crunch Fitness on Silver Star Road in Ocoee said clinicians informed them of an outbreak possibly linked to the gym, with each person saying they fell ill after working out at the location.
In a statement provided to the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday, Ocoee Crunch Fitness spokesman Jonathan Beaton said the state found no Legionella bacteria at the gym.
“Recent testing conducted by the Florida Department of Health has confirmed that all 20 environmental samples collected at Crunch Ocoee — including nine bulk-water samples and 11 swab samples — tested negative for Legionella,” the statement said. “The Department performed an extensive evaluation of our facility, including the spa systems, showers, hot water heaters, water fountains, bathroom sinks, and the exterior water main. Every sample showed zero evidence of Legionella.”
The gym said state health department records show the samples, taken on Nov. 21, from over 20 swabs inside the gym’s showers, sinks, spas, pool and water main had no growth of the Legionella bacteria.
The health department did not respond Sunday to questions from the Sentinel seeking additional information.
Legionella bacteria, which thrives in warm, stagnant water, is not transmitted person-to-person but may be transmitted by airborne water particles or vapors that are inhaled. The bacteria can cause a “serious pneumonia” which is often mild but potentially deadly,
State health data shows Orange County has had 59 confirmed cases of Legionellosis in 2025, including 11 in the first three weeks of November, compared to 48 in 2024.
The Ocoee Crunch Fitness said it will continue to work with local and state health officials.
“We understand there is heightened community attention following reports of Legionellosis cases in the wider Ocoee and Pine Hills areas,” the statement said. “While health officials continue their broader investigation, the Department of Health’s comprehensive testing into the identified systems has found no current indication that Crunch Ocoee’s water systems contained the presence of Legionella pneumophila.”
Legionnaires’s disease was named after a lung infection caused by a bacterium identified as the cause of pneumonia that killed 29 people in 1976 at an American Legion Convention in Philadelphia.