Four people dead from Legionnaires "disease i NY

NEW  YORK  :Four people have died from
Legionnaires disease in New York since mid
July  and another 55 are currently hospitalised
,city health officials said Monday

In total 71 people in the city have caught the
form of pneumonia ,spread by bacteria discovered
in the cooling towers of several building in the
south Bronx neighborhood .

Authorities have inspected 22 buildings and tested
17 cooling towers of which five including that of
Lincoln hospital and one hotel  ,were found to
harbour the Legionella bacteria ,Those five have
been disinfected ,city officials said.

The four who have died were older and had
pre-existing medical conditions ,the said
adding that Legionnaires "disease is not
contagious and can be  treated with  antibiotic

"New York City 's drinking water supply
and other water features ,like fountains and
fools, are safe throughout New York City,
and are unaffected by Legionella"City Hall said

Leaflets were distributed over the weekend
to inform Bronx residents and invite them
to public  meeting on the outbreak.

The disease ,a serious pulmonary infection,
is spread by bacteria that thrive in warm water
,such as that found in hot water pipes air
conditioning systems and industrial ponds,

Infections result from inhaling airborne
droplets  of contaminated water and the
incubation period lasts between two and
ten days,Symptoms include  fever ,coughing
and phlegm containing traces of blood

The disease takes it name from its first
outbreak ,in 1976 at a Philadelphia hotel
where a meeting of the American Legion
society was being held.
AFP