Antoine Mason says he cannot trust the water inside his own home.
“I took a day off today to take my kids to the doctor to make sure none of us are sick with it. Thank God we haven’t got any bad news yet. They’re going to check the blood work to make sure none of it is in our blood stream, but let’s pray to God it doesn’t,” Mason said.
What You Need To Know
- Two residents at the Langston Hughes houses in Brownsville have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease over the last year
- City officials say the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is working with the New York City Housing Authority to conduct tests in the complex
- Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include fever, chills, muscle aches and a cough
- Legionella, a type of bacteria that grows in warm water and causes Legionnaires' disease, thrives in cooling towers, hot tubs, hot water tanks and humidifiers
On Tuesday, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that it is evaluating the water system at the Langston Hughes apartments in Brownsville after two residents have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease over the last year.
Officials say the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is working with the New York City Housing Authority to sample the water system in the apartment complex to look for legionella — a form of bacteria that grows in warm water and causes Legionnaires' disease.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, chills, muscle aches and a cough. The disease is treatable with antibiotics.
“Legionella is one of the more serious forms of pneumonia and it can cause severe illness and death in people who are most vulnerable. We want to make sure we are protecting people from any adverse outcome,” said Dr. Waleed Javaid, the director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai.
The bacteria thrives in cooling towers, hot tubs, hot water tanks and humidifiers. Infectious disease experts say Legionnaires' disease is different from other types of pneumonia because it’s entirely preventable.
“Just like vaccines would prevent us from getting [COVID-19] or the flu, doing better water management helps us to prevent infections in our communities,” Javaid said.
Adults 50 years or older have a higher risk of getting the disease, as well as cigarette smokers and people with chronic lung disease. A spokesperson for the health department says residents can still use and drink water, but the most vulnerable should take extra precautions.
That includes taking a bath instead of a shower, minimizing time in the bathroom, filling the sink slowly while washing dishes and using cold water for tea, coffee and cooking.