Ulster County health officials have indicated that the water system in the Golden Hill Health Care Center in Kingston, New York, was the source of the legionella bacteria that killed one resident and made another seriously ill from Legionnaires’ disease. Officials will send hot water through the system in the hopes of killing the bacteria. The system will then be tested later to see if the bacteria has been killed. Hot water systems in many facilities are often the source of the legionella bacteria because the water temperature is condusive to the bateria’s propogation. Taking a shower or using the faucet aerosolizes the water so that the bacteria can then enter the lungs of the person, thereby acquiring Legionnaire’s disease.

A nursing home in Ulster County, New York is a new focus for a suspected Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. The media reports that two residents of the Golden Hills Health Center have contracted the bacterial infection and were hospitalized as a result. Sadly, one victim, an 88-year-old woman, did not survive the disease. Officials have yet to release the names of the two individuals, but they have confirmed that both victims were women. The other was a 91-year-old. According to media reports, the only trait the two individuals had in common was the living facility they shared. While the nursing home hasn’t yet been established as the source of the disease, investigators are examining the nursing home’s water supply for traces of the legionella bacteria. Both the Ulster County and New York State Health Departments are involved in the investigation. Officials stated that water samples have been collected and sent to a laboratory for testing and hope to have results soon. In the meantime, the nursing home will begin preventative measures before water remediation efforts in hope begin. No residents are being removed from the facility, but residents are being monitored for flu-like symptoms over the next six months. Furthermore, residents are being asked to refrain from showering and advised to take baths instead since showers produce steam and water vapor that can contain legionella.