Source: http://www.timesunion.com, August 4, 2015

Towers linked to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

The number of people sickened in an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the Bronx climbed to 86 on Tuesday as city officials outlined legislation that would tighten the regulation of water-cooling towers, which are thought to be the source of the cluster of cases.
It is the largest outbreak of the disease in New York City that health officials are aware of, said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, the health commissioner, speaking at a news conference alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio and other top officials.
The mayor promised to present legislation by the end of the week to address the loose regulations of cooling towers. even people, all of them older adults with underlying medical problems, have died from the disease.
The city has come under criticism from elected leaders and residents for not already inspecting cooling towers, or even keeping records of which buildings have them. Five such towers, all in the South Bronx, have tested positive for legionella bacteria, which can sicken people who inhale water droplets released from contaminated towers. All five towers have been cleaned, and health investigators are working to determine which of them are responsible for the outbreak. De Blasio defended the city’s approach.
“Previously, and this is the consensus of everyone I’ve talked to who are experts in this field, there wasn’t an identified pattern that suggested these cooling towers were a problem,” he said. “Now we have a pattern.”
A study published last year by researchers in the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, pointed to cooling towers as a risk factor in outbreaks.