‘Legionnaire’ bacteria outbreak already contained – NYC Mayor
NEW YORK —New York City's mayor declared an outbreak of bacteria that cause the potentially deadly Legionnaires' disease had been contained, even as he acknowledged the scope of the outbreak meant the city "was literally in uncharted territory."
Ten people have died in the largest Legionnaires' outbreak in city history. Seven more reported cases of the disease have been reported in New York, bringing the total to 108, though officials expressed confidence that the outbreak was subsiding.
"We can say with confidence that this outbreak has been contained," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The South Bronx remained ground zero for the outbreak, as the bacteria have now been found in a total of 10 buildings. But health officials believe that the people who have grown ill were exposed at one of five buildings where bacteria was originally detected in their cooling towers, normally rooftop equipment used to cool large, and usually modern, structures.
The disease is a form of pneumonia caused by breathing in mist contaminated with the Legionella bacteria and is considered particularly dangerous for the elderly and for people with underlying health issues. It is not clear what triggered this outbreak, which began last month.
De Blasio revealed Saturday that five additional Bronx buildings tested positive for the bacteria, including two courthouses, a post office and a high school. All five buildings have already had their cooling towers cleaned and do not appear to pose any danger to locals, health officials said.