A second person has died and 58 others have fallen ill amid an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease wreaking havoc in the Harlem area, New York City health officials announced.
It marks an increase from previous figures released by the New York City Health Department on Thursday, when there was a total of 22 reported cases and a single death linked to the growing cluster.
In a statement on Monday, acting New York City health commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse urged anyone in the area suffering from flu-like symptoms to “contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible.”
“It is especially important for people at higher risk — including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems — to get care if they have symptoms,” Morse added.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by the bacteria legionella, which grows in warm water. According to the New York City Health Department, it “can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for legionella growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems.”
And while it cannot be passed from person to person, it can be contracted by breathing in any contaminated water vapor.
The New City Department of Health is investigating the cluster.
Since the outbreak was initially detected on July 25; crews have repaired “the 11 cooling towers with initial positive screening results showing the presence of Legionella pneumophila, a type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.”
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