Two cases of Legionnaires discovered at NYCHA housing complex in Brooklyn
BROWNSVILLE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The New York City Department of Health is evaluating the water system at a NYCHA housing complex in Brooklyn after two residents were diagnosed with Legionnaires disease.
According to the Department, the incidents occurred over the past year at the Langston Hughes Houses in Brownsville.
The Health Department is working with NYCHA to sample the building's water system to look for evidence of Legionella, a type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease.
Legionnaires disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by Legionella, which grows in warm water. Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. Legionnaires'disease can be caused by 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.
Individuals at higher risk include those ages 50 and above, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems.
The Department has notified residents of the Hughes Houses about the recent cases and guiding how to prevent exposure.
RELATED: FACTS: What is Legionnaires' disease?
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