New York Health Department reports 2nd death linked to Legionnaires' outbreak in the Bronx
NEW YORK -- At least two people have died from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx.
It was first discovered in the Highbridge section, but as CBS2's Ali Bauman reports, many residents are unaware of the deadly cluster.
"It concerns me, but I haven't heard anything about it," Highbridge resident Sam Balli said.
Balli knows the Legionnaires' disease has plagued his Bronx neighborhood in the past, but he had no idea about the current cluster spanning the Highbridge section.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't haven't known anything," he said.
The city health department says 24 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease since early May. Two people have died and four are currently hospitalized.
Legionnaires' disease is not contagious, but rather is contracted by breathing in infected water vapor, most commonly found in cooling towers, humidifiers and hot water tanks.
Symptoms are similar to the flu, including fever, cough, muscle aches and difficulty breathing.
Balli is not the only one in the dark. Most people CBS2 spoke to in the Highbridge neighborhood knew nothing about the cluster and said they had not heard about it from the city or the health department.
The city health department told us it had information sessions and outreach staff in the neighborhood all last week providing residents with guidance on how and when to seek care.
The city says anyone with symptoms should get tested for COVID as well as Legionnaires', especially if they live or work in the Highbridge neighborhood.
"They should make the public know about it," resident Norman English said.
Most people recover from Legionnaires', but in 2015, at least seven people died in the Bronx from a cluster.
The disease can be treated with antibiotics when caught early.
