New York health officials announced Wednesday that the death toll from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City has risen to eight. People become infected by breathing in microscopic droplets of water contaminated with legionella bacteria.
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Despite the increased number of people diagnosed with the disease, New York City’s health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, said the outbreak looks like it is slowing down.
“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. The bacteria were found in five buildings within a few blocks of one another in the South Bronx, but there is no indication that Legionella has contaminated water systems in buildings.
Mayor Bill De Blasio stressed Thursday that the mandated tests are a precautionary measure and the city is “confident that we have already disinfected the source of this outbreak”.
Failure to comply with the order will result in a misdemeanor.
Most people get exposed to the bacteria through cooling towers, hot water tanks, and water in hot tubs, plumbing systems and fountains.
For free testing call 888-769-7243 or 518-485-1159, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.
His remarks followed a meeting in New York City with health officials from the city, upstate counties and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over a coordinated response to the outbreak.
It’s been a little over 39 years since the disease broke out during an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in July 1976.
There were 301 cases reported in 2013 and 225 in 2014 in the city and generally, 5 to 10 percent of cases are fatal, said a press release sent from the Mayor’s office.
“As officials work to contain and combat this outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, we are taking the next proactive step forward to protect New Yorkers”, the governor said.
There were 301 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2013 and 225 in 2014.
But Spicehandler noted that “it’s a very simple, treatable disease most of the time”.
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The symptoms – which include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, chills, confusion and diarrhea – tend to appear between 2 to 10 days after significant exposure to the bacteria. They were all older adults with underlying health problems.
