The death toll from a deadly lung disease spreading in New York City has risen again, officials said.
Three people have now died from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, and cases have also risen, increasing from 58 to 67 in just one day.
However, officials fear there are more infections going undiagnosed or being misdiagnosed. No information has been released on the patients or the deceased.
All the cases have been detected in five ZIP codes covering the Harlem, East Harlem and Morningside Heights neighborhoods.
It has not been determined yet how the patients have become infected, but a release from the New York City Department of Health on Tuesday said the ‘likely source’ is a cooling tower in the area.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water and can become airborne if this is turned into steam. It can also be spread by air conditioning units if the bacteria contaminate water droplets within the system.
Infected patients initially suffer from a headache, muscle aches, and fever that may be 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) or higher. But within three days, they may experience a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and confusion or other mental changes.
In serious cases, patients can develop severe pneumonia, and the bacteria can spread to the heart and blood, causing the potentially fatal complication sepsis.
Cooling towers are seen in the Harlem neighborhood amid a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City
Patients die from the disease due to lung failure, septic shock, a sudden severe drop in blood flow to vital organs, or acute kidney failure.
The release said the cooling towers are water systems usually found on top of buildings.
They control the temperature of cooling systems, such as central air conditioning or refrigeration.
These systems then spray mist that can contain the dangerous bacteria.
Officials added there is no danger in water used for drinking, bathing, showering, cooking or use in AC units.
The five ZIP codes affected in the outbreak are: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039.
The New York City Health Department warned Monday: ‘People living or working in the area with flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, or difficulty breathing, should contact a healthcare provider immediately.
‘It is especially important for people at higher risk, including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems, to get care if they have symptoms.’
Air conditioning units are seen in the Harlem neighborhood amid a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City
Acting Health Commissioner Dr Michelle Morse added: ‘Anyone in these zip codes with flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible.
‘Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older and those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.’
Doctors treat the disease using antibiotics, but say these are most effective in the early stages before the disease has spread in the body. Patients are often hospitalized.
In milder cases, patients may also suffer from Pontiac fever, a condition causing fever, chills, headache and muscle aches that occurs when the bacteria do not infect the lungs.
This condition goes away on its own without treatment and causes no further problems, doctors say.
The New York City outbreak was first revealed on July 22, when the health department reported eight cases.
All buildings that had units that tested positive for the Legionella bacteria were told to clean their systems within 24 hours.
It follows a previous outbreak in July 2015 in the Bronx, which became the second-largest Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the US.
Cooling towers and air conditioning units are seen in the Harlem neighborhood amid a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City
Overall, a total of 155 patients were infected and 17 people died due to the disease from July to September that year.
The outbreak was eventually linked back to a cooling tower at the Opera House Hotel in the South Bronx, which had been contaminated with the bacteria and was releasing it in water vapor.
The CDC reports that cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been increasing since the early 2000s and hit a peak in 2018 with 9,933 confirmed cases.
Due to reporting discrepancies and various databases, data on the number of legionnaires’ cases and deaths is fragmented and varies.
However, according to the CDC’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDS), from 2000 through 2019, a total of 82,352 confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases were reported from 52 US jurisdictions.
