Andrew Cuomo dispatched over a hundred trained officials in the Bronx Saturday to start widespread testing for Legionella bacteria in water tower cooling systems. The New York Daily News reported Friday that Marvin Montgomery’s attorney said he’s planning to file a lawsuit against the city Friday, and that in addition to being compensated for his injuries he wants to prevent future outbreaks.
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Since its appearance late last month in the South Bronx, 100 people have been diagnosed with the disease, a form of pneumonia caused by breathing in mist contaminated with the Legionella bacteria.
The worst Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in city history appears to be on the decline, health officials said.
The outbreak’s ground zero remained to be the South Bronx, as 10 buildings from the area have now been tested positive with the bacteria.
The serious pulmonary infection is spread by bacteria that thrive in warm water, such as that found in hot water pipes, air-conditioning systems and industrial ponds. Those people are more susceptible to the illness.
“We are in the midst of the largest outbreak of Legionella that we’ve seen in the city and we want to know that all of the cooling towers in the city are in good maintenance”, she said.
Cuomo, in the latest installment of his feud with Mayor de Blasio, took a shot at City Hall with his Thursday invitation for the CDC to visit New York.
Glatter said that most of the people who are affected by Legionnaires’ are the elderly, people who smoke and those with chronic medical conditions, such as emphysema or asthma. Twenty-six buildings on the city’s list did not actually have cooling towers, de Blasio said.
Furthermore, The New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, notes, “While it is clearly a significant outbreak in the Bronx, this is a state-wide issue and the governor is monitoring Legionnaire’s statewide”. Hospital staff said they followed strict guidelines on keep the cooling towers. There are more than 4500 cases which were reported a couple of years ago in the US.
CBS New York reports state officials have pledged additional resources to help fight the disease.
Legionnaires’ got its name from an outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976, when it made 221 people sick and killed 34.
“In the United States, and in our city, the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been increasing since the year 2000”, Basset said.
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Legionnaires’ is not spread from person to person.
