British woman ‘lucky to be alive’ after catching disease ‘from Airbnb hot-tub’ on holiday in Florida

A British holiday-maker was almost killed after contracting a deadly disease from an Airbnb hot tub in Florida.

Pamela Farman, 75, from Somerleyton, Suffolk, was having the holiday of a lifetime with her family in Florida when she began having difficulty breathing.

Doctors said she is ‘lucky to be alive’ after her lungs became ‘severely damaged’ by the bacterial infection contracted in the hot tub.

Pamela was left in hospital for weeks after contracting Legionnaires’ disease, an often fatal form of pneumonia caused by bacteria infecting the lungs.

The retired mum said: ‘The Legionnaires’ disease has stolen the joy of living from me.

Pamela Farman, 75, from Somerleyton, Suffolk, was having the holiday of a lifetime with her family in Florida but ended up in hospital after contracting a disease from the Airbnb’s hot tub

Pamela was left in hospital for weeks after contracting the deadly Legionnaires’ disease, an often fatal form of pneumonia caused by bacteria infecting the lungs. Pictured: The hot tub

‘Because of my trouble breathing and extreme fatigue as a result of the disease, I dread that I may never get back to the way I was prior to staying at the Airbnb.

‘I can no longer exercise, and trying to go for a walk is a nightmare.’

She now struggles to do daily tasks, suffering from fatigue similar to severe long-Covid.

Legionnaires’ disease is often caught around hotels, pools, hospitals and office air conditioners with an infected water supply, becoming much riskier for people over the age of 45.

The long-term effects which she has lived with for nine months have also stopped her from accessing treatment for her osteoporosis, which she has been waiting for for over two years.

Pamela arrived with her husband and daughter in the sunshine state for a holiday in May 2022.

The family were then ferried between three different Airbnb villas after they found the first two were found dirty with algae growing in the pools.

After staying at the third accommodation for a few days, Pamela developed a cough and difficulty breathing.

Suffering from the aftermath of the disease, the retired mum said: ‘The Legionnaires’ disease has stolen the joy of living from me’ 

Legionnaires’ disease is often caught in hotels, pools, hospitals and around office air conditioners with an infected water supply

She was rushed to hospital, where she remained for a week before flying home. Pamela then had to spend a further four days in hospital in the UK.

The family have since slammed the ‘awful’ customer service received by Airbnb after the holiday accommodation company initially refused to accept any responsibility or offer a refund.

Pamela’s daughter Lindsay Martin said: ‘We immediately called Airbnb to report what had happened so they could get the pools and hot tubs cleaned to prevent any more cases.

‘Their customer service was awful and we spent hours communicating with them on an online chat.’

‘It wasn’t about the money, we didn’t want anyone else to become ill and go through this – people can die from it.

‘Airbnb should take more responsibility for how the hosts maintain their properties.’

According to the family, they are now in the process of filing a lawsuit against the company.

Thomas Scolaro from US-based legal firm Leesfield Scolaro representing Pamela said: ‘If Airbnbs are unregulated there is no uniformity in cleaning policies.

The family have since slammed the ‘awful’ customer service received by Airbnb after the holiday accommodation company initially refused to accept any responsibility

‘We all know if we stay in a hotel or resort there are expectations that rooms are cleaned on a regular schedule.

‘There is no policy or standard in the Airbnb industry – it’s the Wild West.

‘Folks like Ms Farman are unfortunate victims of lax oversight and unscrupulous practices.’

He added: ‘Pamala Farman is living proof that Airbnb fails to live up to its own promises.

‘A wonderful woman has now contracted Legionnaires’ disease because Airbnb did not do its job.

‘She is in the fight of her life against this deadly bacterium all because Airbnb gives lip service to safety.’

A spokesman for Airbnb said: ‘The safety of our community is our priority.

‘We were concerned to learn about this, and are in contact with the guest to support them as we investigate this matter.’

The company said it holds hosts to ‘high standards’ and works with safety experts around the world to ensure guests’ safety.

MailOnline have reached out to Airbnb for a comment.