BRONX NEWS: Councilman Speaks Out on #Legionnaires Outbreak

BRONX NEWS: Councilman Speaks Out on #Legionnaires Outbreak: Councilman Speaks Out on Legionnaires Outbreak   ***UPDATE***   Councilman James Vacca issues the following statement on the Le...

Councilman Speaks Out on #Legionnaires Outbreak

Councilman Speaks Out on Legionnaires Outbreak

 

***UPDATE***

 

Councilman James Vacca issues the following statement on the Legionnaires outbreak in Morris Park:

 

“It’s unfortunate that we are dealing with another outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the Bronx. I’ve had numerous conversations with City officials about the response and trust that the City is making all efforts to investigate the cause.  Hopefully the source is quickly identified and contained so this outbreak will remain as limited as possible.  I will continue to monitor the situation and my office will be available to handle any questions and concerns.”

 

#Legionnaires Strike Again

7 People Infected in Morris Park

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epidemic does not appear to want to go away. Health officials now say 7 new people have been diagnosed with the disease in Morris Park.

Health experts say this latest outbreak is not related to the South Bronx outbreak this summer in which 12 people died and 120 were infected with the disease.

Officials were vague as to where in Morris Park these cases were diagnosed.

Patients in the current cluster live or work in Morris Park, range in age from 45 to 75 and are all currently hospitalized. There have been no deaths. New Yorkers with respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, chills and difficulty breathing, are advised to promptly seek medical attention.

“We are investigating a cluster of seven cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Morris Park. I urge all New Yorkers to seek care immediately if they have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, headache, or difficulty breathing. The Department is taking immediate steps to determine the source and protect the people who live and work in Morris Park,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett.

• The Health Department was notified of these seven cases between Sept. 21 and Sept. 27.

• On Sept. 21, when the first case was reported, the Health Department’s disease detectives began investigating immediately. This work initially involves interviewing patients and reviewing medical records.

• Since Saturday, environmental scientists visited all cooling towers and took samples.

• Issued a Health Alert to providers advising them to look for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, conduct appropriate tests on patients, and provide proper samples to the Department for lab testing.

• Conducting tests at our Public Health Lab and the New York State Wadsworth Center.

• Monitoring Emergency Department visits for pneumonia among residents of Morris Park, which have remained at normal levels.

• Identifying facilities such as nursing homes and senior centers where vulnerable populations live in and near Morris Park. Starting today, the Department will work with other City agencies to send staff to these locations, distributing Frequently Asked Questions about Legionnaires’ disease, answering questions and reminding people to seek care immediately if they have symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle ache.

#Legionnaires #Outbreak #Morris Park #Bronx #Bronx News

BRONX NEWS: NYPD Confiscates $10 Million Haul of Synthetic Wee...

BRONX NEWS: NYPD Confiscates $10 Million Haul of Synthetic Wee...: NYPD Confiscates $10 Million Haul of Synthetic Weed By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Local and federal law enforcement offici...

NYPD Confiscates $10 Million Haul of Synthetic Weed

NYPD Confiscates $10 Million Haul of Synthetic Weed

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Local and federal law enforcement officials raided a garage on the Morris Park / Castle Hill border and confiscated 2 million packets of the designer drug K-2, worth an estimated value of $10 million.

A task-force made up from members of the NYPD, DEA and Homeland Security raided the large garage located at 2424 Poplar Street on September 23.

The drug, also called "Spice" is synthetic marijuana that was stashed in laundry bags and heavy-duty containers and was ready for distribution when the take-down occurred.

Officials would only say the seizure was related to a K-2 ring that was smashed in the borough on September 16. Ten suspects were charged with distributing the drug that's being sold in bodegas across the city.

Meanwhile, Senator Jeff Klein and other law makers have gotten pledges from more than 1,700 bodega owners who agreed to never sell the drug that's responsible for over 700 emergency room visits since May.

#K2 #Synthetic Marijuana #DEA #NYPD #Morris Park #Bronx #New York #Bronx News

#Legionnaires Atacar de nuevo 7 personas infectadas en Morris Park

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again: #Legionnaires Strike Again 7 People Infected in Morris Park By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epide...

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again

BRONX NEWS: Legionnaires Strike Again: #Legionnaires Strike Again 7 People Infected in Morris Park By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epide...

Legionnaires Strikes Again

#Legionnaires Strikes Again

7 People Infected in Morris Park

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The Legionnaires Epidemic does not appear to want to go away. Health officials now say 7 new people have been diagnosed with the disease in Morris Park.

Health experts say this latest outbreak is not related to the South Bronx outbreak this summer in which 12 people died and 120 were infected with the disease.

Officials were vague as to where in Morris Park these cases were diagnosed.

Patients in the current cluster live or work in Morris Park, range in age from 45 to 75 and are all currently hospitalized. There have been no deaths. New Yorkers with respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, chills and difficulty breathing, are advised to promptly seek medical attention.

“We are investigating a cluster of seven cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Morris Park. I urge all New Yorkers to seek care immediately if they have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, headache, or difficulty breathing. The Department is taking immediate steps to determine the source and protect the people who live and work in Morris Park,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett.

• The Health Department was notified of these seven cases between Sept. 21 and Sept. 27.

• On Sept. 21, when the first case was reported, the Health Department’s disease detectives began investigating immediately. This work initially involves interviewing patients and reviewing medical records.

• Since Saturday, environmental scientists visited all cooling towers and took samples.

• Issued a Health Alert to providers advising them to look for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, conduct appropriate tests on patients, and provide proper samples to the Department for lab testing.

• Conducting tests at our Public Health Lab and the New York State Wadsworth Center.

• Monitoring Emergency Department visits for pneumonia among residents of Morris Park, which have remained at normal levels.

• Identifying facilities such as nursing homes and senior centers where vulnerable populations live in and near Morris Park. Starting today, the Department will work with other City agencies to send staff to these locations, distributing Frequently Asked Questions about Legionnaires’ disease, answering questions and reminding people to seek care immediately if they have symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle ache.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. issued the following statement:

“My office has been informed by the City’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene of cluster of Legionnaire’s Disease in Morris Park. We are in contact with city, state and federal officials about this latest outbreak, and we will continue to stay on top of these developments and take the necessary measures as we gather more information.

“My office will share information with the public through my website and through social media channels on this cluster as it becomes available. As we monitor this situation, we urge anyone who feels sick to visit their doctor or a hospital to get checked. It is too important to wait,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Flyers in English, Spanish, French and Chinese answering frequently asked questions on Legionnaire’s Disease can be found at http://on.nyc.gov/1FDHjtT.

#Legionnaires #Outbreak #Morris Park #Bronx #Bronx News