South Bronx suffers the latest New York Legionnaires disease outbreak

New York has suffered from a rising tide of Legionnaires disease in recent years. The latest outbreak in the South Bronx has seen 55 people hospitalized with 4 deaths so far with the number of cases now over 65 and rising.

Five cooling towers have been identified as the possible source of the Legionella bacterium which causes the disease. Local residents expressed concern to the NY Times while municipal officials pondered how to contain the latest outbreak.

According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. legionellosis cases reported annually increased 217%, from 1,110 in 2000 to 3,522 in 2009. These figures almost certainly under report actual incidence because they are based on self-reported data. Legionnaires disease is notoriously under reported, being confused with pneumonia which it resembles in symptoms, but differs from in treatment.

While residents are expressing dismay at the lack of action, Legislators are calling for enforced inspection of cooling towers for the Legionella bacterium. However, lab culture tests take 10-14 days to return a result so there is a good case for using rapid testing in emergency situations.