3rd death in NYC Legionnaires’ cluster as cases reach 74, but city confident source eliminated
3rd death in NYC Legionnaires’ cluster as cases reach 74
A third person has died in the Legionnaires’ disease cluster on the Upper East Side, the New York City Health Department announced. FOX 5 NY's Hayley Fixler has the latest details.
NEW YORK CITY - A third person has died in the Legionnaires’ disease cluster on the Upper East Side, the New York City Health Department announced.
What we know:
The total number of cases linked to the cluster rose to 74, including eight patients who remained hospitalized, the department said Sunday.
What they're saying:
"It is with great sadness that I report a third person has died in connection with the Legionnaires’ disease community cluster on the Upper East Side. Our hearts are with their family and friends as they mourn their loss. Out of respect for their personal privacy, we will not be releasing any additional information about their passing," City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said.
The backstory:
The city announced the first death associated with the cluster in Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods on Friday. The second death was reported Saturday.
Martin said city health officials remain confident the source of the Legionella exposure was eliminated after ordering 76 buildings with cooling towers in the affected zip codes – 10028, 10075 and 10128 – to undergo "aggressive remediation" and disinfect their systems on July 14.
"While we continue to investigate cases and closely monitor those in the hospital, we have not identified anyone with new symptoms for more than a week, and we are not seeing any concerning trends in emergency department surveillance data," Martin said. "We will continue inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive and will hold accountable any owner who fails to comply with our public health laws."
What you can do:
The city continues advising anyone who spent time in the affected zip codes to seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms, which could appear up to 14 days after exposure.