Legionnaires’ disease outbreak kills one and infects others in the South Bronx
The disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can grow in warm water and spread through mist produced by cooling towers One person has died from legionnaires’ disease, and four more have been sickened in New York City amid a new cluster of cases only weeks after local health officials had declared a separate deadly Manhattan outbreak of the illness over. On Thursday, New…
A Legionnaires' disease outbreak has claimed the life of one individual and affected four others in the South Bronx area of New York City. This cluster of cases has emerged just weeks after local health officials declared a previous deadly outbreak in Manhattan to be over. The New York City municipal health department has launched an investigation into the community cluster in Melrose and Morrisania, encompassing ZIP codes 10451 and 10456.
Sampling of cooling towers in the region has been completed, with ongoing testing at the city's public health laboratory.
Cooling towers can produce mist that carries the Legionella bacteria, which causes the pneumonia-like illness. Building owners whose towers test positive for the bacteria are instructed to drain, clean, and disinfect them. The health department has also issued a warning to healthcare providers to consider Legionnaires' disease when evaluating patients with similar symptoms.
The city's health commissioner, Alister F. Martin, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasized that the department is taking swift action to address the situation. Community health workers will be canvassing the neighborhood, and anyone who has been in the affected area since late August and is experiencing flu-like symptoms is advised to seek medical attention promptly.
Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water found in various human-made water systems, such as showerheads, sink faucets, hot tubs, and cooling towers. The bacteria can also grow in a vehicle's windshield wiper fluid tank, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The bacteria are more likely to grow in the tank when it contains water instead of genuine windshield washer fluid. People can contract the disease by inhaling contaminated water droplets or mist, but the health officials stress that it is safe to use air conditioners, drink tap water, and shower unless directed otherwise.
Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. The disease is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics if identified early. The South Bronx investigation is the second community Legionnaires' disease cluster identified in New York City in recent months, following a cluster on Manhattan's Upper East Side in July.
Multiple community clusters have occurred in New York City in recent years, including two each in 2015, 2017, and 2018, and three in 2016. The disease was named Legionnaires' after an outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976 that affected attendees of a convention of the American Legion, a veterans' nonprofit organization.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
