[ad_1]
Five more people contracted Legionnaires’ disease in Hamilton and one more person has died, following a cluster of cases first detected a year ago in the County town of Mercer.
The total number of cases dating back to August 2020 is now nine, with three deaths, and they are still under investigation by the state’s health ministry, the city and state reported on Tuesday in a joint press release.
Hamilton first reported four cases of Legionnaires last August, including two fatalities.
Since then, officials said Wednesday, they have identified five more cases, one from November 2020 and four from May to August 2021.
One person died last month, described only as an elderly resident of the township.
“The water is safe to drink, but there are basic precautions residents can take to protect themselves – such as regularly flushing the water from their taps and maintaining their hot water tank,” the epidemiologist said. State, Dr. Tina Tan in a statement released by Hamilton.
Tan noted that home air conditioners do not use water as a coolant and do not aerosolize the water.
Legionnaires’ disease is pneumonia that can be treated with antibiotics, and health officials have stressed that anyone with symptoms sees a doctor.
The main symptoms – cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches – are similar to those of COVID-19. And while many people exposed to Legionella do not get sick, people aged 50 or older, especially those who smoke cigarettes, or have other health problems or a weakened immune system, have a greater risk of contracting the disease.
Hamilton gets some of its drinking water from Trenton Water Works, the city’s utility that also supplies water to parts of the towns of Lawrence, Ewing and Hopewell Valley. Hamilton is also served by Aqua, a private water company.
But officials said the Legionaries’ issues appear to be Hamilton-based.
“While the water samples collected at [Trenton Water Works’ treatment plant and central pumping station] have not yet shown any presence of Legionella, water samples taken from homes and businesses in Hamilton Township served by TWW have identified the presence of Legionella, ”the statement said.
“It is feared that Legionella could be present in other buildings and houses in the area,” the statement said.
No other city served by Trenton Water Works has publicly reported cases of Legionnaires.
Mark A. Lavenberg, Trenton Water and Sewer Director, said in the statement, “We continue to work with our partners in the New Jersey Department of Health and Hamilton Township to empower residents of Hamilton and our area. service the means to protect themselves and their families from Legionnaires’ disease.
Lavenberg said Trenton Water Works was launching a public awareness campaign Oct. 1 to educate clients about Legionnaires, which he called a “critical public health issue.”
Officials say Hamilton owners and businesses are urged to take precautions to protect themselves from Legionnaires, a list that can be found here, and said healthcare providers who treat Hamilton residents should maintain a Higher ‘index of suspicion’ for Legionnaires’ disease when assessing symptoms.
“I want to thank [state health officials] for their involvement in studying the frustrating frequency of Legionnaires’ disease in Hamilton over the past decade and working with TWW and our health division to keep Hamiltonians safe, ”said the Mayor by Hamilton, Jeff Martin. “Clean, safe drinking water is a human right – a right we will continue to fight for to ensure that all residents can comfortably know they have access to it. “
Our journalism needs your support. Please register today for NJ.com.
Kevin Shea can be reached at [email protected].
[ad_2]
Source link