Legionnaire’s Disease Death Toll Rises to 7 in NYC

The Legionnaire's disease outbreak in the South Bronx has killed three more people, New York City officials announced on Monday. The death toll is now up to seven.

Officials added that so far there have been a total of 81 reported cases with 64 of them requiring hospitalization since July 10. Out of these cases, 28 patients have been discharged.

"We are taking this very seriously," Dr. Mary Bassett, the city's health commissioner, said at a public town hall meeting that took place at the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

According to the investigation, officials believe that the disease, which is caused by the legionella bacteria, is spreading via cooling towers. Officials reported that after testing 17 cooling towers in the South Bronx for the bacteria, the water from five towers, which included towers at the Opera House Hotel, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, came back positive. All five towers have since been decontaminated.

The officials are now pushing for tighter regulations to prevent future outbreaks and to end this one.

"Why, instead of doing a good job responding, don't we do a good job proactively inspecting?" the Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz asked.

Mayor Bill de Blasio added, "Legionnaires' disease outbreaks have become far too common over the past 10 years, and the city will respond not by only addressing an outbreak as it occurs but with a new plan to help prevent these outbreaks from happening in the first place."

People can get legionnaire's disease if they inhale droplets of contaminated water. Symptoms include fever, cough, chills and muscle aches. The disease is particularly fatal in middle-aged to older adults, people with compromised immune systems and people with underlying health conditions. Being a smoker can also increase the severity of the disease.

All seven of the patients who died were older and had health issues.

The officials stated that it would take some more time and testing to determine the source of the disease. They added that the city's drinking water has not been affected and is safe to drink.