New Legionnaires' Disease Cluster Pops Up in NYC

Here we go again.

After an outbreak of more than 100 cases of Legionnaires’ disease rocked the South Bronx in August, a new Legionnaires’ cluster popped up a few miles north in late September.

“The Health Department is currently investigating a cluster of seven Legionnaires’ disease cases in the Morris Park section of the Bronx,” the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) announced on Monday.

According to the DOHMH, this second cluster is unrelated to the previous outbreak, which was traced back to a host of Legionella bacteria growing in the cooling tower of the boutique Opera House Hotel.

Twelve New Yorkers died in the first outbreak.

“Patients in the current cluster live or work in Morris Park, range in age from 45 to 75 and are all currently hospitalized,” the DOHMH said. “There have been no deaths.”

Here’s what health officials say they’ve been doing to curb this new outbreak:

• The Health Department was notified of these seven cases between Sept. 21 and Sept. 27

• On Sept. 21, when the first case was reported, the Health Department’s disease detectives began investigating immediately. This work initially involves interviewing patients and reviewing medical records.

• Since Saturday, environmental scientists visited all cooling towers and took samples.

• Issued a Health Alert to providers advising them to look for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, conduct appropriate tests on patients, and provide proper samples to the Department for lab testing

• Conducting tests at our Public Health Lab and the New York State Wadsworth Center

• Monitoring Emergency Department visits for pneumonia among residents of Morris Park, which have remained at normal levels

• Identifying facilities such as nursing homes and senior centers where vulnerable populations live in and near Morris Park. Starting today, the Department will work with other City agencies to send staff to these locations, distributing Frequently Asked Questions about Legionnaires’ disease, answering questions and reminding people to seek care immediately if they have symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle ache.

“I urge all New Yorkers to seek care immediately if they have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, headache, or difficulty breathing,” Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in a statement. “The Department is taking immediate steps to determine the source and protect the people who live and work in Morris Park.”

More info on Legionnaires’ disease is available on the DOHMH website.