Legionnaires’ illness outbreak: Case depend reaches 56 as Upper West Side constructing exams constructive for the micro organism

The affected areas within the current outbreak stay contained in ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075 in Carnegie Hill, Yorkville, and Lenox Hill on the UES, in response to metropolis knowledge. 

However, the house owners of a constructing on Manhattan’s Upper West Side mentioned they independently examined their sizzling water system and located that Legionella micro organism was current, in response to an article within the West Side Rag on July 11. 

Per the article, a memo was despatched to residents and shareholders of The Ardsley at 320 Central Park West, stating, “We are writing to inform you that recent testing detected Legionella in samples collected from the building’s domestic hot water system.”

The constructing’s house owners mentioned they employed a water administration marketing consultant who will flush and disinfect the constructing’s sizzling water system on Thursday. 

Alister Martin, MD, well being commissioner of NYC, mentioned the UWS constructing’s testing shouldn’t be relatd to the UES investigation.

“The NYC Health Department has been made aware of an Upper West Side building owner independently testing their building’s hot water system for Legionella bacteria. This has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation on the Upper East Side,” the commissioner mentioned. 

When a number of folks in a neighborhood get Legionnaires’ illness — as within the case on the UES — the supply is usually a cooling tower, or probably a sizzling tub or spray fountain, in response to town well being division’s web site.

If a number of folks in the identical constructing get sick — generally known as a “building cluster” — the constructing’s sizzling water system is normally the supply, with publicity occurring whereas showering. 

On July 10, town launched a listing of 31 buildings whose cooling towers preliminarily examined constructive for Legionella micro organism amid the present UES outbreak. Among these buildings had been the Guggenheim Museum, Asphalt Green’s UES campus, a Whole Foods Market and Trevor Day School. 

Officials cautioned that the preliminary PCR screening outcomes don’t set up that any of the buildings contributed to the outbreak or that dwell micro organism had been current of their cooling towers. 

Officials additionally mentioned UES residents can proceed to drink faucet water, bathe, bathe, cook dinner and use their AC at house. The illness shouldn’t be contagious. 

The metropolis’s well being division additionally continued to remind New Yorkers to hunt medical consideration in the event that they exhibit signs, which embody fever, chills, muscle aches and cough. People at elevated danger embody adults age 50 and older, individuals who smoke or vape, these with continual lung illness and other people with weakened immune techniques or who take immune-suppressing drugs.