Two more people have died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, bringing the death toll to 10, officials have said.
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New York City’s Department of Health on Thursday ordered the examination and cleaning of all cooling towers in the city, in response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that has claimed 10 lives. Failure to comply would be a misdemeanor. Most cases of Legionnaires’ disease can be traced to plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth, such as hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, cooling towers, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems.
“The state’s offer of free testing for building owners will strengthen our effort to protect the city from Legionella”, said city Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett, referring to to the name of the bacterium that causes that disease.
New York City officials announced that the outbreak may have been from the commercial cooling towers on roofs and buildings. However, the disease is easily treated with antibiotics, but if anyone infected having previous medical condition can face higher risk. But the most severe Legionnaire’s outbreak recorded in New York has passed its peak, mayor Bill de Blasio has said. Rather, people get infected by breathing in mist or drops of water (usually warm) that bacteria have contaminated. The number of cases reported to the CDC each year has been rising, roughly doubling between 2000 and 2009.
Rouse had been hospitalized at Beth Israel Hospital and died there, even though doctors were sure he’d recover-his family members say the Health Department did not look into his death, even though they repeatedly asked officials to do so. They believe it peaked on July 30, and they have seen a decline in new cases since then.
The city sent the directive to roughly 3,200 buildings across the five boroughs. In the South Bronx, 100 people have been diagnosed with the disease.
Legionnaires’ disease was initially identified in 1976 when several people at a Philadelphia convention fell ill due to a bacterial strain.
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Anyone in the Bronx with symptoms such as fever, coughing and shortness of breath are advised to seek medical attention immediately. “We need the governor”, said Sen. It is being said that there could be tens of thousands of towers in the city.
