- The NYC Health Department announced the third death Sunday from the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.
- The outbreak began in late June, and the suspected cause is Legionella bacteria found in cooling towers.
- New cases have slowed to one per day since July 10, down from over eight daily in early July.
Three people have died as of July 19, from the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City that began in late June, according to the NYC health department.
Read more Marvel just released the first trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ Here’s how fans are reacting
Other data as of July 19 from the department includes:
- 74 total cases
- 8 currently hospitalized
- 51 discharged
- 12 not hospitalized
What is Legionnaires’ disease?
“Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionellabacteria,” per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bacteria grows in hot water, and “the most common way for someone to get sick is by breathing in mist containing Legionella,” CDC said.
It also noted, “Most healthy peopleexposed to Legionelladon’t get sick.” People at risk are current or former smokers, people 50 or older and people with health issues such as cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure or a weak immune system.
Symptoms usually develop between two to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria or longer, and they include cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, shortness of breath, confusion, diarrhea or nausea, according to the CDC.
The disease can be treated with antibiotics if caught early enough.
The cases in New York
The New York Times said several hundred people in New York City are sickened with Legionnaires’ disease each year, most commonly during the summer, “when buildings use their rooftop cooling towers, which are part of their air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.”
Read more Opinion: A new pioneering spirit — facing the health risks of a drying Great Salt Lake
“The towers continually recirculate warm water, creating an ideal environment for the Legionella bacteria to grow. They also include fans that can distribute water droplets into the air, and that mist, if it contains the bacteria, can sicken people who inhale it,” The Times reported.
The current outbreak stemmed from the Upper East Side’s Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods, according to New York Post. Legionella bacteria was “found in 76 cooling towers across Upper East Side neighborhoods and one on the Upper West Side.”
Despite the three deaths announced over the last three days, the diagnoses of Legionnaires’ disease have slowed.
According to officials, “An average of one new case had been reported per day between July 10 and July 17, a sharp decline from the first week of July where an average of over eight new cases were being reported daily,” per NY Post.
The NYC Health Department “believes the source of the bacteria has likely been eliminated and that it will continue inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive for the bacteria,” ABC News reported.
Read more Mom killed in flash-flooding incident remembered as fierce businesswoman, adventurer, mentor