Dozens of people are suing Thermëa Spa Village after allegedly contracting Staphylococcus from the Whitby facility.

Justin Linden, a personal injury lawyer with Linden & Associates, confirmed to blogTO that he has filed a civil claim against Thermëa Spa Village on behalf of 28 people who say they contracted staph infections after bathing in the spa’s saltwater pool.

The plaintiffs have experienced symptoms ranging from ear infections to hearing loss to skin rashes, Linden said, and have all "suffered terribly."

"They’ve all reported the same experience of having been to Thermëa Spa Village and being in this one pool," Linden said, adding that he expects the number of plaintiffs will rise.

"What is most disturbing to me is that this was supposed to be a healthy experience. Instead, people ended up sick and requiring medical care. It’s the polar opposite of what should have happened. The spa should have gone above and beyond in their health and safety."

The plaintiffs are seeking damages for their suffering - some are still experiencing hearing loss and unresolved skin issues weeks later - as well as accountability from the spa.

Linden told blogTO that he has yet to receive a response from Thermëa or its parent company, Groupe Nordik.

Thermëa Spa Village opened to the public on October 6, five years after it was initially announced. On October 14, the spa was notified by Durham Public Health that pseudomonas and staphylococcus bacteria had been found in Källa, the facility’s underground saltwater pool.

Martin Paquette, the CEO and Founder of Groupe Nordik, said the pool was closed immediately following the discovery, and blamed the bacteria’s presence on a mechanical malfunction.

According to online records, Durham Public Health found issues relating to the water chemistry of some of Thermëa’s other pools as early as October 5.

A representative for Thermëa confirmed to blogTO via email on Thursday that all pools at the spa will remain closed until an audit is completed and the spa "can ensure this will never happen again."

"Impacted guests can anticipate further, direct communication next week regarding how we intend to support them," the representative said. "The reason for this timeline is that we wanted to give guests ample opportunity to assess how they’ve been impacted."