The New York City Department of Health has just released a statement that there is an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in The South Bronx. So far, 31 people have been diagnosed with it and investigations are underway as to whether or not two recent deaths may be related to this outbreak since July 10th.
This is the second outbreak in the borough as you may recall that there was one in Co-op City earlier this year.
According to WABC, the following South Bronx neighborhoods have had reported cases:
- Hunts Point
- Longwood
- Morrisania
- Crotona Park
- Claremont Village
- Concourse Village
- Woodstock
- Highbridge
- Concourse
- Mount Eden
Symptoms of legionnaires usually are headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion, and diarrhea and symptoms typically show up 2 to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria.
Legionnaires is a bacteria that is predominantly traced back to plumbing, cooling towers, and anywhere there is water present with the right conditions for the bacteria’s growth.
It is important to note that this is not transmitted person to person.
If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
Currently, NYCDOH is working on pinpointing the source of these outbreaks and once more information is released, we will keep you posted.
Go to their website to learn more about Legionnaire’s Disease.