Legionnaire's disease continues to invade New York as the death toll increases to 10 with a total of 101 individuals infected specifically in South Bronx, authorities revealed on Friday.
The outbreak, which started on July 10 in the Bronx — the poorest country in the state, has already sent ninety-four people to the hospital following the infection, according to The Daily Star.
The disease is mostly (90%) caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which has recently been discovered in the cooling towers of five buildings in the South Bronx area.
In an attempt to control the spread of infection, Gov. Cuomo invited a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the city and announced free bacteria testing for qualified buildings after frustrated Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. called him for faster response, NY Daily News reported.
"It wasn't that the city's response was bad, just that there needed to be more action," a source close to Diaz told the Daily News.
Under Cuomo's plan, any private business owner in the Bronx or anywhere else in New York State can ask state officials to have their cooling towers tested for Legionella bacteria contamination.
Legionnaire's disease is a form of atypical pneumonia that is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics. Infection happens by inhaling airborne droplets of contaminated water. Those reported to have died of the illness were older patients and those with pre-existing medical conditions, officials said.
Individuals living in the Bronx area showing symptoms such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath are urged to seek medical attention immediately.
On Friday, the city hall claimed a decline in the frequency of new cases and the number of emergency department visits.
"We're optimistic that we've seen the worst of this outbreak and that our remediation efforts are having an impact," it stated.
Meanwhile, New York is not the only area experiencing the disease outbreak. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Basset disclosed this week that more cases have been reported all over the United States, ABC News has learned.
"In the United States, and in our city, the number of cases of Legionnaires' disease have been increasing since the year 2000," Basset explained. "The reasons for that are not clear, but may have to do with better case ascertainment. We have better and better lab tests that enable us to make the diagnosis. And it also may have to do with the fact that we have an aging population, more people susceptible to the infection."
