This summer, 12 people died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the city. As a result, the city required all buildings to clean their cooling towers, where Legionella bacteria can thrive. But that process was not as effective as hoped, and bacteria can return in as little as two weeks post-cleaning, an expert told the Times.
“Nine out of 10 times, the disinfection will be effective. But if the treatment program and risk management program isn’t in place after the disinfection, nine out of 10 times the bacteria will regrow again if it was there,” Tim Keane, a consulting engineer at Legionella Risk Management, told the paper.
Officials were testing the towers again in September, as one person in the Bronx died and 13 people reported Legionnaires’ disease symptoms last month, the Times reported.
More articles on Legionnaires’ disease:
Legionella scare leads to evacuation of 3 Chicago area schools
How many more have to die before regulators take action on Legionnaires’ disease?
VA hospital discovers Legionella in water system, relocates patients
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