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Andrew Cuomo

Health teams sent to test NYC for bacterial outbreak that's killed 10

Trevor Hughes
USA TODAY
This image depicts a large grouping of Gram-negative Legionella pneumophila bacteria.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday deployed 150 workers to inspect and test water systems in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City following an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that's killed 10 people.

The bacterial infection, which causes pneumonia, has also sickened more than 100 people, according to state and New York City health officials. Experts believe water cooling towers, which are used to cool and ventilate some buildings in the city, are responsible for spreading the outbreak. The Legionella bacteria grows in warm water.

"Today we're putting boots on the ground to safeguard the public health and bolster the confidence of a hard-hit community," Cuomo said in a statement. ‎"We have one simple message for the people of the Bronx: We are here to help."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio scheduled an afternoon news conference to discuss the outbreak, the worst in New York City's history.

Public health officials say the spread of the illness appears to be slowing down after they ordered building owners Thursday to disinfect their cooling systems. The state is also offering free testing for building owners with cooling towers or evaporative coolers, which are sometimes called "swamp coolers."

The sickness can't be passed from person to person, and is transmitted when people breathe in water vapor containing the bacteria, according to health officials.

Cuomo said the state's inspection teams are focusing primarily on nursing homes and residential buildings.

City health officials have said the drinking water supply is unaffected by the disease outbreak and that fountains, shower heads and pools are safe as well. Home air conditioner units are unaffected and walking into air-conditioned environments is also safe.

Dr. Mary Bassett, New York City's health commissioner, speaks to reporters at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx borough of New York on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015.  Officials have traced the likely cause of the outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease to cooling towers, which can release mist.

"We have fewer new cases, people are seeking care promptly and getting treatment promptly," said Mary Bassett, the city's health commissioner, in a statement. "We're optimistic that we've seen the worst of this outbreak, and that our remediation efforts are having an impact."

Legionnaires' disease is named after the 1976 outbreak at a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion that killed 34. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 8,000 and 18,000 people in the USA are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease each year, but many infections aren't diagnosed or reported, so the number may be higher. It is found more frequently in summer and early fall, but infections can happen any time of year.

If caught early, it can be treated. Symptoms include coughing, fatigue and confusion. Health officials say all 10 people who died had underlying medical conditions.

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