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The Health Department gave an update Wednesday, June 1, on its investigation into a community cluster of the illness in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.
Twenty-four people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in the area since Tuesday, May 3, according to health officials. Four people are hospitalized.
The two individuals who died were both over the age of 50 and had risk factors for severe disease, health officials said.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by the bacteria Legionella, which thrives in warm water, according to the Health Department.
Officials said people only get sick by breathing in water vapor containing Legionella bacteria, and the disease is not passed from person to person.
When caught early, Legionnaires’ disease can be treated with antibiotics, officials said.
Those at higher risk include people 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems, health officials said.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease resemble other types of pneumonia and include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough.
Officials said anyone who lives or works near the Bronx and experiences those symptoms should see a doctor or go to an urgent care facility.
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