Legionnaires' disease 8 in Washington Heights, by city

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY – Washington Heights has been hit by a second legionellosis outbreak in recent months, officials from the city's health department said Friday.

Eight contracted the infection caused by the Legionella bacteria and were sent to the hospital within five days, city health officials said. An outbreak of the disease has sickened 27 people, including one who was killed, during the summer of this year.

"The Department of Health has identified a second group of legionellosis this season in the Lower Washington Heights area and we are taking aggressive measures to ensure the safety of residents," Dr Oxiris Barbot, Commissioner of the Department of Health, said in a statement. Acting health.

The city's health department said the Legionnaires' disease group was affecting "the heights of Washington Heights", but did not provide additional details. The summer outbreak – which was also reported in "Lower Washington Heights" – was attributed to the Sugar Hill project, a tower located on St. Nicholas Avenue, near 155th Street West.

The authorities ordered the Sugar Hill project to clean and disinfect its cooling systems again in the light of the new outbreak.

"Although the risk is very low, we urge residents and people working in the area to take precautionary measures.The Legionnaires' disease is not contagious and can be treated with common antibiotics if it is early detection or breathing difficulties should immediately consult a doctor, "said Barbot in a statement.

Legionnaires' symptoms include fever, cough, chills, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion and diarrhea, and usually surface two to 10 days after contact with Legionella bacteria. Key contributors to the spread of Legionella include cooling towers, hot tubs, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks and evaporative condensers in large air conditioning systems. the Ministry of Health. The city sees an average of 200-500 cases of Legionnaires' disease each year, health officials said.

The disease can not be transmitted from one person to another, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

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