Morris Park residents like Dawn Smyth, 40, thought they had avoided the worst of the Legionnaires’ outbreak that killed 12 of their neighbors in the South Bronx earlier this summer. But a new and unrelated outbreak in the largely white, middle-class neighborhood in the East Bronx has many residents wondering what to believe.
Smyth and many other anxious residents attended a packed town hall meeting hosted by the New York City Health Department at Maestro’s Caterers on Bronxdale Avenue Thursday evening.
“I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the disease,” said Smyth, who grew up in the Morris Park community for most of her life and has two small children. “People have died, and one death is one too many.”
Residents were told that of the 13 new cases, eight people remain hospitalized and four were discharged from the hospital. As of Wednesday, one person died as a result of the outbreak. Officials handed out a fact sheet, in both English and Spanish, with frequently asked questions about Legionnaires’ disease. It included the facts that the disease is not contagious, and can be treated with. Free flu shots were also provided on the spot.
Health Commissioner Mary Travis Bassett said that all the patients infected with the disease had underlying health conditions, as well as some sort of connection with the neighborhood; either they lived, worked or visited the area. All fell ill on or before September 21, and no other cases have since been reported.
Smyth was one of dozens in the audience who questioned the officials about their safety and the city’s procedures for diagnosing the disease.
“There can be improvements from the city like being on point with inspections so this doesn’t become more of a cluster than it is now,” said Smyth.
There were 35 cooling towers in Morris Park that began being tested for Legionella bacteria on September 26, after the first case was reported. A total of 15 towers tested positive with the bacteria, some buildings with multiple towers. An order by city officials in August required all cooling towers to be cleaned within two weeks. Another mandate requires quarterly inspection of the towers.
“I want to assure everyone that any towers we had concerns about have been cleaned or are in the process of being cleaned, and as you know there have been no new cases coming in since September 21,” said Bassett.
“I certainly hope this situation is handled quickly, said Constance Deyorgi, 79, who attended the town hall meeting. “I’m pneumonia prone, and I’ve had pneumonia four or five times so I’m concerned.”
There are roughly 200 to 300 cases of Legionnaires’ disease every year in New York City. The City’s Department of Health is still trying to determine the source of the Legionella bacteria in Morris Park.
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The sites of the towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria include:
2964 East Tremont – Lehman High School
2725 East Tremont – Chase Bank
1740 Eastchester Road – Calvary Hospital
1500 Waters Place – Bronx State Psychiatric
1199 Sackett Ave – Einstein College
1865 Eastchester Road – Einstein College
1845 Eastchester Road – Einstein College
1301 Morris Park Ave – Einstein College
1250 Morris Park Ave – Einstein College
1925-1935 Eastchester Road – Einstein College
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include fever, cough, chills and headache, very similar to the flu. The individuals with the highest risk of becoming sick include middle aged or elderly people, cigarette smokers and people with medical conditions.
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–By Daniel Rodriguez