The New York City Health Department confirmed a second person has died in connection to the recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the Bronx.
Dr. Alister Martin, the city’s health commissioner, shared on social media Thursday evening about the second person to died from the South Bronx cluster.
“We mourn the loss of each New Yorker, and our hearts are with their loved ones as they navigate this difficult time,” Dr. Martin said. “We are grateful to our local elected officials who have joined us in outreach efforts as we respond quickly to cut off the exposure and investigate cases.”
Martin noted all of the cooling towers that tested positive in initial screening for the disease have since been cleaned and disinfected.
Fourteen people had tested positive for Legionnaires’ as of Wednesday night after the legionella bacteria was found in cooling towers at ten locations, including Yankee Stadium, Lincoln Hospital and Boricua College.
It’s not clear exactly where the people got sick. The city Health Department says further testing will reveal if people were sickened at any recent Yankee games.
It was too soon to determine whether the bacteria found at the Stadium were alive or dead. Only live bacteria can cause the disease, which is a form of pneumonia.
The Yankees said none of the current Legionnaires’ disease cases in the area had been linked to the stadium.
The Health Department previously said anyone who lives or works in the Melrose and Morrisania sections of the Bronx, or have visited there since late August, and are experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately.
The 10 cooling towers with positive PCR results are located at:
- 820 Concourse Village West
- 234 E. 149th St.
- 1 E. 161st St.
- 470 E. 161st St.
- 1265 Franklin Ave.
- 567 Melrose Ave.
- 3339 Park Ave.
- 1160 Teller Ave.
- 890 Washington Ave.
- 1085 Washington Ave.
Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but kills about 10% of patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s caused by Legionella bacteria, which grow in warm water and can spread in such places as hot tubs and building cooling equipment. People may contract the disease by inhaling contaminated water droplets, but it doesn’t spread person-to-person.
A Legionnaire’s outbreak earlier this summer on Manhattan’s Upper East Side killed 11 people among more than 90 who tested positive, the Health Department said. The agency said 59 cooling towers at 58 buildings tested positive for live Legionella bacteria. All those towers were cleaned and disinfected.
Last year, another Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem killed seven people and sickened dozens of others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
