A public housing tenant has died due to complications associated with Legionnaires’ disease likely contracted at a Brooklyn New York City Housing Authority development, where the water is now the subject of ongoing testing and vulnerable residents, including people over age 50, have been advised not to take showers.
The resident of the Langston Hughes Houses in Brownsville contracted the disease and died in July, according to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which is now monitoring the testing and disinfecting that NYCHA is supervising there.
On Thursday NYCHA tested the water there after DOHMH notified the housing authority that a second resident had tested positive in January for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. That resident did not die, and the results of NYCHA’s testing are expected in two weeks, officials said.
At resident meetings last week, health department staff offered advice on how to minimize the chances of getting the disease, with older and medically vulnerable tenants advised to take baths after filling the tub slowly and minimizing time in the bathroom while running the faucet. Residents were also advised to run the tap at a trickle while washing dishes in the sink, and to contact a doctor if they experience symptoms that include fever, chills, muscle aches or a cough.