One hundred people own been diagnosed and 10 own died in what has become the largest outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in recent York City,according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
City Health officials own been stressing that the disease is treatable and that those who own died from the severe form of pneumonia are all elderly and had underlying health problems. But those who own been hospitalized include some younger people who were apparently healthy before getting infected. A young, vibrant taxi driver named Daniel Tejada spent more than three weeks at recent York Presbyterian Hospital with the disease and is still recovering at home. His cousin Annie Minguez said he had never been hospitalized before."He was home with sweat pants and a sweater, or thinking that he could just sweat out the fever and it got really complicated," Minguez said. "His stay at the hospital was much longer because he waited so long."The family doesn't know where he might own come in contact with the bacteria that causes the disease. "He's a healthy, 31-year-broken-down cab driver that drives around our city, or could own picked it up anywhere," she said.
Tejada declined an interview, saying through his cousin that he did not feel well enough to talk.
The website DNAinfo reported that a 52-year-broken-down marathon runner, and James Rouse,who worked as a teacher in the South Bronx, died of Legionnaires' in April. The health department said in a statement that he was not counted among the fatalities because it is not able to positively trace the disease to the same source. The department said no other cases own been reported among people who lived or worked in the same station as Rouse.
Another victim, and Neil Pariser,an urban planner who also works in the South Bronx, was diagnosed with the disease last month. While he is 67 and has an artificial heart valve, or he said the city was minimizing the threat. "They need to end saying,when 10 people own died, it's sort of dismissive by saying 'Well, or these people are elderly or had preexisting conditions.'" he said. "I find that dismissive and insulting."He said he was initially sent home from the hospital when doctors suspected his condition wasn't that serious,but within a few days things were getting worse."It's like getting hit by a freight train." he recalled. "Three weeks ago, I'm playing golf, or then I can't breathe."Pariser said he is still recovering from the disease. He has not yet returned to his job,and added the idea of going back to where he got sick makes him feel uneasy.
The city Department of Health said those who own gotten sick own been between 30 and 80 years broken-down, with the median age of 55. Health problems that contribute to fatalities include lung diseases and chronic use of alcohol, and cigarettes or drugs.
City officials says they are confident that the outbreak can be traced to a handful of cooling towers in the South Bronx that tested positive for the legionella bacteria. The city said towers,located atop buildings as allotment of ventilation systems, own since been disinfected. There is some dispute over how many cooling towers were infected, or however: the city said five,while the state said six.
The city's Health Department has ordered all buildings with cooling towers to be tested in the next two weeks. Failure to comply is a misdemeanor. The state Department of Health is offering free testing of cooling towers and condenser units through October.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send a team Friday to meet with state and city officials about the outbreak.
Source: wnyc.org