An outbreak in the Bronx of Legionnaires’ disease has been associated with Co-Op City, one of the largest cooperative housing developments in the world. The New York City Health Department announced last month that preliminary tests found that cooling towers at the complex were contaminated with Legionella bacteria. When Health Department representatives met with a large group of Co-Op City residents, there were complaints about the lack of communication over previous Legionnaires cases at the housing center, which is home to some 50,000 New Yorkers.
While the Health Department has made no determination that the cooling towers are the cause of any reported case of Legionnaires’ Disease, the department instructed Co-Op City cooling tower manager River Bay Corporation to take immediate steps to decontaminate the equipment in order to minimize the risk. The cooling towers are used to cool Co-Op City’s heating and electrical systems. The water in that system is separate from the water used by Co-Op City residents for drinking, cooking, bathing and building heat, according to the health department report.
NYC Health Commssioner Dr. Mary Bassett announced that of 12 cases of Legionnaires’ disease recently diagnosed among Bronx residents, eight case patients are from Co-Op City. It was that correlation that led to the testing of the housing complex’s cooling towers for harmful Legionella bacteria. “We are conducting a thorough investigation and working closely with River Bay Corporation to minimize the public risk and to prevent future cases,” Commissioner Bassett said.
Legionnaires’ disease was discovered in 1976 after 25 people died of the illness after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. The mysterious and deadly outbreak prompted one of the biggest public health investigations ever by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A type of pneumonia bacteria previously thought only to infect the lungs of animals was the culprit. Today it is treated effectively with antibiotics, but cases of Legionnaires’ can still be deadly, especially among older adults and others who have weakened immune systems.
Fever, cough, fatigue, confusion, aches and lung inflammation are key symptoms of the disease and the health department in New York has been instructing Co-Op City residents to seek medical treatment immediately if they fall ill. Meanwhile, the Health Department and River Bay will continue to work together to modify maintenance procedures to prevent the regrowth of Legionella. The cooling towers were treated with chlorine. Most outbreaks of the disease can be traced to plumbing systems. People inhale the bacteria from mist or tiny water droplets.
