Fourth person dies in Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City
Another death has been linked to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Here’s what you need to know:
Health officials reported on July 21 a fifth death linked to a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City.
The New York City Department of Health announced in a news release that at least 82 people have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus, which originated on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Eight people remain hospitalized and 56 have been discharged.
The agency pointed to cooling towers found in buildings in the tony area as the source, saying 34 cooling towers in 33 buildings tested positive for live Legionella bacteria, the organism that causes the disease. The tower and all buildings, dead or alive, that tested positive for the bacteria have been cleaned, the release said.
Results for the remaining 140 cooling towers tested are expected back “within the next week,” according to the release.
“We responded quickly and aggressively to this outbreak of legionnaires on the Upper East Side,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alistair F. Martin said in a statement. “Through our aggressive test and remediation strategy, we believe we have eliminated the source of the infection.”
There have been no new cases confirmed in six days, and no one has reported new symptoms for more than 10 days, the statement said.
What are the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, which thrives in warm water systems. People commonly become infected by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water from things like cooling towers, hot tubs, and decorative fountains.
The incidence of the disease has been increasing since 2000 and peaked in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacterium cannot be transmitted from person to person, but it can be inhaled if it enters a building’s water supply, according to the CDC.
Anyone who has been in the area is advised to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, Legionnaires’ disease can occur in the following ways:
- headache and muscle pain
- heat
- cough and shortness of breath
- chest pain
- nausea
- confusion
Contributors: Anthony Thompson, Amethyst Martinez – america today
