Three former residents and one employee of Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs, New York tested positive for Legionella bacteria. The former residents were staying on the same floor while involved in short-term rehabilitation programs at the nursing home. The facility last performed routine tests for Legionella on September 2, 2016, yielding negative results. Saratoga Hospital informed Wesley Health Care Center of the cases of Legionnaires’ disease on October 13, 2016, and dozens of water samples have been taken from the facility since then in an attempt to determine if it is the source of the bacteria. The results of those tests are not yet…
Twelve people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in Niagara County. Eight of those diagnosed are associated with the Lockport area specifically. A cooling tower at the Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport recently tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Under the 2016 New York state regulations, cooling towers must be regularly tested for Legionella, and any cooling towers that test positive must report it to the state and local departments of health. The hospital advised they have since re-cleaned and disinfected the cooling tower, and also in accordance with the 2016 New York state regulations they will also conduct additional testing…
Routine testing of Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital’s water system last month yielded positive results for Legionella bacteria in several parts of the hospital. Consequently, one patient at the facility developed Legionnaires’ disease. An employee stated on Wednesday night that the water containing the Legionella bacteria was within the hospital’s plumbing system. The hospital states they are taking action to eliminate the issue. Special filters have been implemented on sinks, shower heads, and ice machines throughout the facility. Water use has also been restricted. Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread from person to person, and can only develop as a result of…
Two individuals at the Rangel Houses in Harlem have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. Regarding these two cases, the NYC Department of Health released a statement indicating that they are working with the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) to launch an investigation and test the water supply in one of the buildings within the public housing complex. The results of these tests will not be determined for a few weeks, and until then it is unclear whether or not the suspected building is the source of the Legionella bacteria that is responsible for these two cases. In an effort to…