Officials confirmed Thursday that three people died as a result of a Legionnaire’s disease outbreak at a New York assisted care home.
A cluster of instances was identified at Albany’s Peregrine Senior Living Facility on Friday, according to a statement from the Albany County Executive Office.
Since the discovery of Legionella bacteria at the facility, 20 people have been hospitalized, ten have tested positive, and three have died, according to the statement.
Legionella bacteria, according to the CDC, can cause Legionnaires disease or Pontiac fever, a severe form of pneumonia. Legionella bacteria spread through the air when a person breathes in a mist containing the bacterium.
Some water samples from the Peregrine Senior Living Facility tested positive for Legionella, and additional testing is underway, according to the county executive’s office. Water filters have been put in the facility to ensure the safety of the other inhabitants.
Legionnaire’s disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from person to person, thus it poses no harm to the community as a whole, according to the county executive’s office.
The New York State Department of Health told NBC News that signs have been put at the facility, water limitations have been established, and water tests are still being collected.
“We will continue to work with the facility and County Health Officials to protect the health and safety of the residents living at Peregrine,” according to the agency.
