During the morning of this Wednesday, July 29, the US Department of Health confirmed the sixth death linked to the outbreak of legionellosis in New York. With this update, the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began in manhattanthe most famous, populated and most important district in the state, amounts to 90.
According to what was stated by the American television network Telemundothe new figure converts this outbreak in one of the more serious that New York has faced in the last decade, despite the fact that the country’s health authorities stressed that no new diagnoses have been recorded since last Sunday, July 19.
Therefore, of the 90 infected people, six remain hospitalized, 65 have already been discharged and 13 did not require internment. In this way, the six deaths confirmed so far add to a panorama that, according to the New York Department of Health, tends towards stabilization in the next few days.
“We are confident that the source of the legionellosisa serious respiratory infection caused by bacterium Legionella“added the mayor from New York, Zohran Mamdaniwho last Tuesday, July 28, announced that the outbreak had ended and that the bacteria had been eradicated from Manhattan, the state’s main island.
More than 70 buildings infected
According to ABC Newsthe news division of the American Broadcasting Company, the Department of Health found that more than 70 buildings in Manhattan were on a list of addresses that tested positive for the bacteria Legionella and that they may have been the source of exposure during the current outbreak.
Faced with this scenario, a total of 77 cooling towers tested positive for Legionella in initial tests, so it could still be weeks before it is determined which of them caused the illness. However, authorities are confident that the source has already been deletedgiven that no new cases have been recorded.
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Likewise, the New York Department of Health reported that the cooling towers that provided positive by the presence of live bacteria have already been completely disinfected. Therefore, health authorities added that they will continue to update all addresses on their official website, as necessary.
However, just because a building appears on the positive list does not mean that it is the origin of the outbreak. Consequently, the United States Department of Health clarified that the new researchwhich can extend over several weeks, aims to determine which one or which ones towers caused the infections in New York.
What is legionellosis?
According to the American television network Univision, legionellosis occurs in two forms: the disease of the legionary (a severe pneumonia) and fever Pontiac (a mild flu-like illness). Therefore, it is usually contracted by inhaling vapor or contaminated water droplets and is not transmitted from person to person.
Infection is a form serious of pneumonia caused by bacteria Legionellawhich proliferates in water hot. This infection occurs when a person inhales steam or small droplets of water contaminated with the bacteria, not by drinking it or cooking with it, which is why the bacteria is found in cooling towers, jacuzzisshowers and fountains.