DOH Confirms New Cluster of Bronx Legionnaires’ Cases

Seven additional cases of Legionnaires’ disease is being investigated by the New York City Department of Health.

Officials say the cluster is centered around the Morris Park neighborhood and is unrelated to this summer’s outbreak.

They say the seven people diagnosed with the illness live in Morris Park, and those cases aren’t believed to be connected with the outbreak this past summer that killed 12 people.

Content Preview This content is exclusive for Optimum, Time Warner, Comcast, customers with access to News 12. The patients range in age from 45 to 75 and are all now hospitalized.

She urged anyone experiencing Legionnaires’ symptoms – including fever, cough, headache, or difficulty breathing – to “seek care immediately”. In that outbreak, which affected the south Bronx, at least 128 people got sick; a dozen of them died.

Since Saturday, environmental scientists have visited all cooling towers in the area to take samples in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the outbreak.

Starting today, the Department will work with other City agencies to send staff to these locations, distributing Frequently Asked Questions about Legionnaires’ disease, answering questions and reminding people to seek care immediately if they have symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle ache.

Under the new legislation, cooling towers across the city must be tested regularly for Legionella bacteria; any found to be contaminated must be disinfected immediately.

That outbreak was the largest in the city’s history. Legionnaires’ disease can not be spread from person to person.

More info on Legionnaires’ disease is available on the DOHMH website.

In addition to the elderly, people with chronic lung disease and weakened immune systems are also often at risk for the disease, which is spread through bacteria. The regulations specify penalties for violations, and the legislation makes New York City the first major city in the United States to regulate cooling towers.