The state Department of Health is investigating a group of Legionnaire’s disease cases in Union County that left a person dead.
Health officials said they were aware of 14 confirmed cases of the disease, including the death of a man in his late 60s, who were notified to the state between February 3 and 26. The cases are among people who live or spend time in Union County.
New Jersey health commissioner Judith Persichilli recommended that anyone who has symptoms should visit their doctor. Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle and headache, and the disease can be treated with antibiotics.
“As a precaution, the Department recommends that individuals who live in Union County and fall ill with respiratory / pneumonia-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain and headache, visit their doctor,” he said. Persichilli.
The state health department receives about 250 to 350 notifications of illness from the legionnaire each year, according to the note.
Some groups are at an increased risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease, including people over 50, smokers and individuals with weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease. Most healthy people exposed to the bacteria do not develop the disease.
Since it can take up to two weeks for symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease to develop, the state suggests that individuals seek medical attention if they develop symptoms within two weeks after being in Union County.
The disease is not spread from person to person. Instead, a person contracts Legionnaires’ disease, a type of lung infection, by breathing small drops of water into the air containing the legionella bacteria, the state said.
Aerosol water can come from air conditioning units for large buildings, hot tubs, cooling mixers, decorative fountains and plumbing systems. Household air conditioners do not use water to cool rooms, so they do not pose a risk of Legionella growth.
The state health department is conducting investigations to find potential sources of exposure to the bacteria and conducting environmental sampling for Legionella.
Health authorities have identified several possible sources and remediation has started in these locations. However, the health department said that investigations into the Legionnaire’s clusters are complex and finding the source of the bacteria that caused the infections is often not possible.
“This is an ongoing investigation. The risk for those living in Union County is very small, ”said Persichilli.
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Avalon Zoppo can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @AvalonZoppo.