August 3, 2015
By Deepti Hajela
The death toll (click here) from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease has risen from
four to seven people, city health officials announced Monday at a public
town hall meeting of concerned residents.
"We are taking this very seriously," Dr. Mary Bassett, the city's health
commissioner, told the audience at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, where
people waited in line to get in.
More than 80 people have been diagnosed with the disease, which is
caused when water contaminated with a certain bacteria is inhaled into
the lungs. Of those sickened, 64 have been hospitalized, with 28 of them
treated and discharged.
The seven people who died were all older and had other health problems, officials said.
Dr. Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for disease control for the city
Department of Health, emphasized that the disease was not passed on from
person to person and that most people weren't at risk.
"This is still a pretty rare disease," he said.
There have been 2,400 cases nationwide this year. The legionella
bacteria were discovered last week at a Bronx hotel and in equipment at a
hospital.
Officials have traced the likely cause of the outbreak to cooling
towers, which can release mist. They said 17 towers in the area have
been tested, with five testing positive for legionella bacteria. They
said at the meeting Monday that all five of the towers have been
decontaminated....
