(Newswire.net — August 2, 2015) — New York – New York hospital officials have confirmed four deaths caused by a deadly type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ Disease. Also, it has been confirmed 65 more people are infected in the Southern Bronx. The residents of New York’s area where the largest Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak in three years has occurred are anxious, scared and confused, according to PIX11 TV.
“No, we should not be alarmed. I think what we want to do is just be aware of any individuals we know that may have any of those full symptoms,” City Council Member Vanessa Gibson told PIX11. She added that the Legionnaires’ Disease is a type of pneumonia that is not contagious and is highly treatable.
“They [officials] say it is in the water, now it is in the mist in the cooling system, so I don’t know what to believe anymore. Now it’s a big concern,” a South Bronx resident Angel Barrero told PIX11.
Health officials said that NY’s drinking water, fountains and pools are safe, however, the bacteria that causes this severe pneumonia has been found in the Concourse Plaza Mall, the historic Opera House Hotel, the Verizon office building, the Streamline Plastics Company, as well as the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. Disinfection processes have been carried out at all five locations.
The local health department inspected 22 buildings in the Bronx, including 17 cooling towers in order to fight the disease, PIX11 reported. Outbreaks usually occur in the summer or early fall and the symptoms are similar to a flu, with coughing, fever, headaches and muscle pain.
The 65 cases are a big concern according to South Bronx residents. The current outbreak has the “unusual” rate with five times more cases than the previous one, in which only 12 people got sick.
“We expect the case count to rise over the next several days because it reflects what has happened in the past,” said deputy commissioner for disease control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Jay Varma.
“We are confident the investigation we’ve done has identified all the potential sources of the infection,” Dr. Varma said. Dr. Varma added that it would be honest to say that Department of Health “doesn’t know what it is about the cooling towers or the bacteria or the environment that led to this specific outbreak,”
Those who have died from the illness were older and had other medical conditions besides Legionnaires, a press released published by the city said.