A recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has been seeing a rise in New York City in recent weeks, with a slowly rising death toll. According to New York Daily News, “A fifth person has been killed by the legionnaires’ disease outbreak ripping through Harlem, which has also sickened more than 100 others, health officials announced. Of the 108 people who have so far been diagnosed, 14 still remain hospitalized, officials said. None of the dead have been identified.”
Legionnaires’ disease is a “type of pneumonia. It is caused by bacteria (Legionella) that grow in warm water. Legionnaires’ disease causes flu-like symptoms and complications from the disease can be fatal. The disease is not new. It was first identified and named in the 1970s” as described by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The department seems to have located the original source of the disease spread within New York City to be from water cooling towers from city rooftops.
NYC Health goes farther into this, stating that “The Health Department has sampled and tested water from cooling towers in the investigation zone. Any cooling towers with initial positive results for Legionella bacteria have completed the treatment required by the Health Department. We are continuing to monitor and let buildings know if additional treatment is needed.”
Legionnaires’ disease has been identified to be a non-contagious disease and is best treated with antibiotics. People are urged to seek immediate medical attention if they are experiencing any flu-like symptoms that may be attributed to Legionnaires’ disease.
