NYC officials believe bacteria outbreak has been contained

According to reports, health officials from New York State are ordering extensive inspections of cooling facilities in an attempt to stop New York City’s outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease from spreading. Ninety two people were hospitalized, and 48 have been treated and released.

Health officials stressed that Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious, which cannot be spread from person to person, and it is treatable with antibiotics. In total, five towers in the South Bronx have been tested positive for the legionella bacteria. There are more than 4500 cases which were reported a couple of years ago in the US.

It’s named after a 1976 outbreak at a Philadelphia convention that killed 34 people.

Large cooling towers are much more susceptible to contamination with Legionella than air-conditioning systems in homes, Whalen said.

The mayor said the outbreak was “a wake up call” for the city, noting the health department was hamstrung because it did not know which buildings have cooling towers, the presumed source of the Legionnaires’ outbreak.

On Friday, the city hall claimed a decline in the frequency of new cases and the number of emergency department visits.

This is the biggest outbreak of this disease within New York City as per Mary Bassett, the Health Commissioner. On the annual basis, around 200 to 300 cases are reported of the Legionnaires’ disease in the city.

BSIP/UIG via Getty Images Ten people have died of the 101 New Yorkers diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. The CDC plans to meet with state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker in Manhattan today-Cuomo apparently contacted the agency after Bronx Borough President Diaz Jr. pleaded with him to conduct further tests in the Bronx. Most people get exposed to the bacteria through cooling towers, hot water tanks, and water in hot tubs, plumbing systems and fountains. When inhaled, the legionella triggers symptoms like high fever, cough, muscle aches, respiratory problems and headache.

“The order instructs the owners or managers to test and disinfect their cooling tower within the next 14 days”, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. It includes all people who manage these towers in all of New York City, not only the Bronx.

“What you see going on right now is very reactive, which is great and hopefully prevents future outbreaks, but it shouldn’t let their past negligence off the hook for the injured people, like my client”, Slater said.