Connecting the dots is part of what this blog is all about. You may remember that significant regulations were passed in New York City in 2015 because of the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease (see my blog of October 25, 2018). Unfortunately, these regulations are not being properly enforced by the city health department. As a result, 90% of the cooling tower cases heard by an administrative agency charged with enforcing the regulations have been dismissed. This is despite the fact that there has been 65% increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases from 2016 to 2017. Even Mayor De Blasio has criticized…
Over the course of the past few weeks, we have covered cooling towers and how they can serve as potential breeding grounds for Legionella bacteria. This appears to be the case in Long Island as a school district there announced that Legionella bacteria was found in the cooling towers at three of their schools. According to the Sachem Central School District at Holbrook’s superintendent, James Nolan, the bacteria was detected in the cooling towers at Seneca, Sequoya and East schools after conducting scheduled testing in order to be in compliance with New York state regulations. Once discovered, the cooling towers…
This past weekend, it was reported by WKBW Buffalo that the Buffalo Public Schools were investigating a potential claim of Legionella being found at the Districts office. According to the report, the bacteria was found in a single water sample and furthermore, according to a spokesperson for the Buffalo Public Schools, it is unclear whether this finding is accurate. Part of the reason for the lack of clarity is due to there not being any current standards for Legionella testing in buildings that are not health related. This is in addition to the fact that individuals associated with the Buffalo…
In a previous post, we discussed the origins and very early beginnings of Legionnaires’ disease. In this post, we are hoping to slowly move through time and discuss some significant outbreaks and moments of Legionnaires’ disease history. Perhaps the first major outbreak after the 1976 Philadelphia incident would be with Stafford, England. In April 1985, approximately 175 people were admitted into the Kingsmead Stafford Hospital with pneumonia. Of these cases, around 28 individuals ended up dying with the origin of the infection being discovered to be the Stafford District Hospital. About a decade later, in March 1999, the Bovenkarspel legionellosis…
In August of 2015, 133 Bronx residents contracted Legionnaires’ disease, an outbreak which ultimately resulted in the death of 16 individuals. This incident would be the worst recorded outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York state’s history however now, more than two years later, New York continues to show problems as 2017 posts a record number of cases, including a far larger rate of Legionnaires’ disease than just about every other state per capita. New York once again led the United States for reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2017 with a total of 1,009 cases reported to the CDC. And far from the situation improving, this rate of…
A “Notice to Tenants” was posted in the lobby of Hampton House at 93-10 Queens Boulevard, advising residents that the agency is working with the building management to test the water for legionella, the Legionnaires’ disease causing bacteria. This comes after multiple Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in the NYC area. Since 2015, Legionnaires’ disease has sickened 120 people and killed 12 in the nation’s economic capital. If you believe you or someone you know has been diagnosed with this disease, Contact us to see what we can do to help. Jules Zacher is an attorney in Philadelphia who has tried Legionnaires’ disease cases…
James Square nursing home in Syracuse, NY, has implemented additional water restrictions after testing revealed the second building on the property was also positive for Legionella bacteria. The investigation began after two residents reportedly became ill with Legionnaires’ disease, with the first diagnosis in March of 2017, and the second on July 24, 2017. The facility consists of two buildings connected to one another by a pedestrian bridge. The first round of testing revealed Legionella bacteria in one building, while the most recent testing on August 8, 2017, also revealed Legionella bacteria in the second building. The nursing home has since…
Residents living at the Latimer Gardens, a Flushing NYCHA Complex were warned that Legionella, the bacteria causing Legionnaires’ disease may be on the property. This notice from the New York Health Department comes after two residents, including one who remains hospitalized, contracted the disease over a 12-month period, according to officials. The notifications to residents indicated that testing was being done on the water distribution system that supplies residents with their bathing and drinking water. While you normally cannot contract legionnaires’ disease from drinking contaminated water, showering with contaminated water often leads the water to aerolize. The fine mist containing…
CVPH in Plattsburgh, New York, has treated two patients with Legionnaires’ disease. It is not believed that the cases are related at this time, as the patients resided in different counties. Since the two diagnoses, the hospital has implemented that all patients presenting with pneumonia-like symptoms be tested for Legionnaires’ disease until August 13, 2017. The hospital has a program in place to prevent Legionella bacteria, and specifically contains a small level of chlorine in its water system as well as hyper-chlorinates its water twice a year. The water system is also tested every 90 days by a third party.…
Earlier this month, a woman in her 90s living in the Upper East Side died after becoming ill with Legionnaires’ disease. Six others in the same area were diagnosed with the disease around the same time, and the only commonality between these individuals is the area in which they live. The source of the outbreak has not yet been identified. Health officials have been looking toward local cooling towers on buildings as the potential source of the outbreak, testing a total of 116 cooling towers in the Lenox Hill area. It is possible one of these local cooling towers contaminated…