New York City Legionnaires' cluster rises to 22 cases, health officials report
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- The number of people affected by Legionnaires' Disease in Upper Manhattan has now risen to 22, including one fatality., health officials report.
The person who died has not been identified but is said to be older than 50 with underlying medical conditions.
RELATED: FACTS: What is Legionnaires' disease?
All suspect cooling towers in Washington Heights and Hamilton Heights have been cleaned, and pending final test results, officials believe the cluster has been contained.
Anyone in the area with flu-like symptoms should see a doctor immediately.
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water. Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. Most cases of Legionnaires' disease can be traced to 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.
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