Another New Yorker has d!ed from the new disease called Legionnaire and a
further 13 people are infected as the city grapples to contain the illness.
The Bronx-based victim was confirmed dead on Wednesday as
the number of people hospitalized jumped up from 11 to 13 in just 24 hours.
City officials are now rushing to disinfect 35 cooling
towers, which tested positive for the infectious bacteria legionella, as they
try to curb the life-threatening condition
The latest outbreak in the South Bronx, New York's poorest
neighborhood, stemmed from one hotel cooling tower over the summer, which
claimed 12 lives.
None of the victims have been identified. According to city
officials, all but one was over the age of 40 with underlying health problems.
Legionnaires' - a form of pneumonia especially dangerous for
the elderly and for people with underlying health issues - has become the
city's most significant public health crisis since last fall's Ebola scare.
Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio called for calm as he
assured New Yorkers the situation is under control.
'We are dealing with a new set of realities we have never
experienced that we have never encountered before in this city,' de Blasio
said.
Lawmakers are working on legislation they say could help
prevent another such outbreak