By
JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
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A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in New York City has claimed its first life, health officials said Friday
Officials didn’t release additional information about the person’s identity, age or details on when and how they fell ill
Investigators are still trying to pinpoint thected at least 67 people and hospitalized dozens, according to city Health Department data. Much of the scrutiny has focused on the air conditioning systems atop many large buildings, which can release water vapor carrying the bacteria
Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, is treatable but kills about 10% of patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, seven people died and more than 100 were sickened during an outbreak in New York’s Harlem neighborhood
City officials began tracking the current outbreak July 2, after two people were infected in the area
The city says tests have identified either living or dead Legionella bacteria — the micro-organisms that cause the disease — in cooling towers on more than 75 Upper East Side buildings. They include prominent museums, private schools and pricey apartment houses
It’s not yet clear which, if any, of them contributed to the outbreak, but all the buildings were ordered to clean, drain and disinfect the cooling towers. They are devices sometimes used to cool large buildings
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Legionella bacteria grow in warm water and can spread in cooling towers, hot tubs and showerheads. In many cases, people contract the disease by inhaling tiny droplets of contaminated water. Legionnaires’ disease doesn’t spread person-to-person
