State steps up testing for Legionella bacteria in NYC

At the press conference it was announced that Dr. Claressa Lucas of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Dr. Jasen Kunz of the National Center for Environmental Health will lead the team being sent from the Centers for Disease Control to assist in the anti-Legionnaires’ effort. “We have one simple message for the people of the Bronx: we are here to help”.

The outbreak of the disease began in the South Bronx due to what is believed to be five contaminated water cooling towers.

Seven county health commissioners, including those from Albany, Cortland and Erie counties, also provided expertise at the meeting. This expanded testing will also provide the state valuable data as to the amount of Legionnella in systems across the state and any potential dangers in surrounding neighborhoods in the Bronx or other parts of the state.

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.

August 4, 2015: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio holds up a chart documenting the cases of Legionnaires’ disease while speaking to reporters.

Government health officials are now assisting in the Legionnaires’ disease investigation in New York City.

The spread of the disease has slowed as the city has ordered building owners with the cooling towers to disinfect them.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated the state Division of Well being would supply free testing of cooling towers and evaporative condenser models, the place the micro organism can also disguise. On Saturday, 57 cooling towers in New York were disinfected; all 161 buildings with possible cooling towers will have been inspected and disinfected by Sunday with 200 people working around the clock, said de Blasio.

Residents say they’ve been underwhelmed by this response from the city and the state. At Co-op city, 8 cases were reported last January and it was traced to the cooling tower in the housing complex in Bronx. They were all older adults with underlying health problems. Seven more additional cases were reported in the area, making the total, as of today, to 108 individuals. Legionnaires’ is a severe form of pneumonia caused when a person inhales the legionella bacteria.

Those with Legionnaires’ disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. The illness can be treated with antibiotics but those with preexisting conditions are at greater risk, as was the case with the 10 people who have died so far.