2 dead and at least 58 sick from growing Legionnaires' disease cluster in NYC

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Two people have died and at least 58 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in a cluster that broke out in the Harlem area of New York City last week, officials said on Monday.

The New York City Health Department had reported on Thursday that one person had died and 22 people were sick in the cluster.

“People living or working in the area with flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, or difficulty breathing should contact a health care provider immediately,” the department said in a statement on Monday. “It is especially important for people at higher risk -- including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems -- to get care if they have symptoms.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water, health officials said, and people can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in water vapor that contains Legionella bacteria.

The New York City Health Department has been investigating the cluster and said that "the remediation required by the Department has been completed for the 11 cooling towers with initial positive screening results showing the presence of Legionella pneumophila, a type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease."

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Legionnaires’ disease can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems, health officials said.

People can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in water vapor that contains Legionella bacteria, though officials reminded people that the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics.

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