Legionnaires Disease: US travel warning as two dead and at least 58 sick from in New York City - what is it and symptoms
Two people have died and at least 58 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in New York City.
A cluster of the disease broke out in the Harlem area of New York City last week, officials said on Monday. The New York City Health Department had reported on Thursday that one person had died and 22 people were sick in the cluster.
“People living or working in the area with flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, or difficulty breathing should contact a health care provider immediately,” the department said in a statement on Monday. “It is especially important for people at higher risk -- including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems -- to get care if they have symptoms.”
No details about the two people who died have been released by officials as of Tuesday. Tourists travelling to the popular destination should be aware of the risks. The Foreign Office has not updated its travel advice but holidaymakers should be aware of the growing disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water, health officials said. People can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in water vapor that contains Legionella bacteria.
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, health officials said. People can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in water vapor that contains Legionella bacteria, though officials reminded people that the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics.
Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include:
- a cough
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or discomfort, particularly when breathing or coughing
- a high temperature
- flu-like symptoms