Some concerned Bronx residents filled a town hall meeting Monday looking for information about the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in their neighborhoods. NY1’s Lori Chung filed this report.
"I just want to know what about personal air conditioning, what about things like that," one woman wonders.
Hundreds of concerned residents filled the Bronx Museum of the Arts to capacity, the line stretching out the door, hoping for more clarity on the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease and how to stay safe.
"I just want to know what about personal air conditioning, what about things like that," one woman wondered.
"It's important for the community to be informed because if we're not informed then panic can set in," said Rep. Jose Serrano.
City health commissioner Mary Bassett led a panel to calm fears about the spread of the illness by putting facts forward.
"Our water supply is safe. The water is safe to drink," she said.
The number of deaths linked to the outbreak rose to seven Monday, with 81 people total falling ill.
"The average age of people is 55. The range has been anywhere from 30 to 80 years. Most of the cases have occurred in men," said Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Jay Varma.
"We consider the most likely source of this outbreak to be cooling towers. We have worked diligently to identify cooling towers in the neighborhoods where we are seeing the cases arising," Bassett said.
Five sites in the borough tested positive for the Legionella bacteria. Some are wondering if more should have action should have been taken in prior outbreaks.
"I personally feel that those people didn't have to die. I think that if it was managed and if it was controlled or if it was talked about like it's talked about now, people would have been more aware," one woman said.
Officials now want the public to be aware of the symptoms which include headache, muscle pain, chills and a high fever. They are urging people to seek medical help immediately if they think they might be infected.
Health officials are now checking to see if those five sites where the bacteria was found have actually made people sick.
Meanwhile, those buildings have been decontaminated but the owners have to submit a long term plan to keep something like this from happening again in the future.