“We can and must do more to address all cases if we’re going to prevent disease and save lives. If our legislation is enacted, New Yorkers will no longer have to become ill before corrective action is taken.”
The latest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx is just one in a string of occurrences in our city and state this past year, which affected residents in Harlem, the Upper East and Upper West Sides, Westchester, and the East Village. New York City and State continue to lead the nation in Legionnaires’ disease cases, with New York having the second highest rates per capita.
We should all be outraged about these reoccurrences. Legionnaires’ is a severe form of pneumonia which can cause serious illness in those who contract it, with a fatality rate of 10 percent and a hospitalization rate of up to 90 percent. In the current outbreak, one person has lost their life, while 11 others died on the Upper East Side earlier this summer.
These deaths are entirely preventable, and I have sponsored state legislation that will implement a comprehensive system for water management to ensure we’re protecting New Yorkers against this deadly disease…