What to Know
- New York City health officials confirmed Friday that there are now 22 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in a cluster found in Manhattan
- The latest number comes following Tuesday's announcement of the death of one person from the disease outbreak in Lower Washington Heights
- Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria "Legionella," which tends to grow in warm water
New York City health officials confirmed Friday that there are now 22 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in a cluster found in Manhattan.
The latest number comes following Tuesday's announcement of the death of one person from the disease outbreak in Lower Washington Heights.
As of Tuesday, Health officials say they have inspected 20 cooling towers and ordered several building owners to increase their use of biocides to kill the bacteria associated with the disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which tends to grow in warm water.
The disease is contracted by breathing in water droplets contaminated with the bacterium. In most cases, the bacterium can be traced to plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth.
The disease is not passed from person to person.
Local
The city sees an average of 200 to 500 Legionnaires' cases each year.
