Legionnaire's Disease Outbreak in New York August 2015 News Latest: City Health Orders Testing in Cooling Waters
New York City has now recorded 10 fatalities due to Legionnaires' disease, an illness caused by the Legionella bacteria that usually thrives in warm water. Authorities also confirmed that 100 New Yorkers were hospitalized although more than half have since been released, according to City Hall.
Authorities are doing everything they can to contain the outbreak going on in the South Bronx, including issuing an order to all building owners with cooling towers to disinfect the towers within 14 days of receiving the order. However, there is no comprehensive list of buildings with cooling waters in New York which makes the task a bit more challenging.
As of Saturday, five more water cooling towers in buildings located in the South Bronx had tested positive for legionella bacteria, according to News Week. The mayor said in a press conference that the officials had identified cooling towers with legionella at a local high school, post office, the Bronx County Hall of Just and at two apartment buildings.
People are able to contract the disease through exposure to water supplies such as cooling towers and hot water tanks. It can also be coming from water in hot tubs, plumbing systems and fountains. The person may contract the disease after inhaling contaminated water that is vaporized or misted. Health officials emphasized that Legionnaire's disease is not contagious and is highly treatable with antibiotics. However, between 5 to 30 percent of people die.
On Saturday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered deployment of 150 state officials to help with the testing. The mayor also encouraged the New Yorkers to take part in doing improvements to water safety. He directed people to visit NYC.gov to check out a form letter that is available in there for apartment renters to send to their building managers urging inspection of cooling towers.
