Titular
At least three people have died in an outbreak of the legionary disease in Harlem, authorities said in the most recent update, in the last summer resurgence of the disease that, according to officials, mainly affects older people and is potentially linked to poorly maintained cooling towers.
Key facts
Legionary disease is a recurring problem in New York City, especially in buildings that use water cooling towers as part of their air conditioning systems.
More recently, five people died in an outbreak in 2022 in the asylum of Elderly Amsterdam in the Bronx, an installation of 409 beds that had been summoned by city inspectors seven times in the previous six years for not maintaining the cooling towers, The New York Times reported.
The case rate of the legionary disease in New York City has increased constantly during the last decade, according to a report from the City Health Department published in 2022, with a peak of 656 cases in 2018.
The biggest outbreak in the history of New York City occurred in 2015, when Legionella outbreaks in several departments buildings at the Bronx infected a total of 138 people, killing 16, according to a case study of the National Health Institutes.
What is the legionary disease?
Legionary disease is caused by bacteria legionellawhich causes a disease similar to pneumonia and fever of Pontiac. According to centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), symptoms include coughing, fever, headache, muscle aches and breathing difficulty. The disease receives its name from the place where an outbreak was identified for the first time: a convention of the American Legion in 1976 at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, where 182 people became ill and caused 29 deaths.
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How is legionary disease spread?
The legionella It grows in certain water systems created by the human being, such as showers, jacuzzis, decorative sources and plumbing systems. It is not developed in window or car air conditioning units, as confirmed by both the CDCs and the New York Department of Health. However, it can grow in large cooling towers of central air conditioning systems, such as those that are commonly on roofs of buildings in parts of New York City. The Department of Health indicated that there are no problems with plumbing systems in Harlem affected areas, and that residents can continue using the tap water to drink, bathe and cook. The legionary disease is transmitted when inhaling steam or mist that contains the bacteria, and is not transmitted from person to person.
How can I prevent legionary disease?
There is no vaccine to prevent this disease. New York City requires owners to register their cooling towers and submit them to routine inspections and tests. CDC indicate that legionella Prosperate in water with temperatures between 77 ° F and 113 ° F (25 ° C to 45 ° C), and recommend storing cold water below 77 ° F and hot water above 140 ° F (60 ° C) to avoid bacterial growth. At the individual level, the CDC recommends monitoring the temperature of the water heater, purging it regularly, cleaning taps and shower heads, and making them run with cold water for at least two minutes, followed by hot water until it reaches its maximum temperature.
Where else is legionary disease spread?
The northeast and the west of the US registered the highest cases of cases in 2019, the most recent year with complete review of the CDC. Ohio reported 785 cases, Illinois 614, New York 606, Pennsylvania 579 and Michigan 551.
Who are at risk?
People over 50 are at greater risk, according to the NYC Department of Health. More than 82% of the 8,890 cases registered in 2019 in the US occurred in people over 50, and 63% of cases were in men. African Americans have a higher incidence rate than whites, according to CDC data. Smokers, people with chronic lung diseases, diabetes, cancer, renal or liver failure, weakened immunological systems or who take immunosuppressive medications such as those used in chemotherapy are also at risk. Most cases occur in summer and autumn in the northeast and a half west.
Key context
At least 67 people have contracted the legionary disease in Harlem Central, according to the New York Health Department. So far three deaths have been reported. The outbreak is located in five postal codes of the city: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039. “Samples of all cooling towers in the area have been taken and it is already working,” said Mayor Eric Adams in a video published on social networks. The Department of Health said that the risk for most people is low, but urged residents to seek immediate medical attention if they have symptoms similar to those of the flu.
This article was originally published by Forbes US
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