Two people die from Legionnaires disease

Two people die from Legionnaires disease

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The Onondaga County Health Department confirms the two folks who contracted the disease last week, have died.

One of the cases involved a patient at the Van Duyn nursing home; the other passed away at home.

Dr. Morrow says she could not immediately confirm that Legionairres' was the official cause of death.

Two cases of Legionnaires' disease in Onondaga County
May 30, 2009

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - The Onondaga County Health Department is reporting two confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease. One of the cases involves a patient at the Van Duyn Nursing Home.

Health Commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow says, so far, the cases appear to be isolated with no link between the two.

Last summer, more than a dozen cases of the disease were reported in Onondaga County, including one death.  The source was traced to an air conditioning cooling tower at Community General Hospital.

Dr. Morrow says it's not uncommon to have anywhere from five to 15 cases per year in Onondaga County. Legionnaires' disease is a severe bacterial infection of the respiratory tract.

The Health Department is investigating these two cases and says there is no word yet about how the patients are doing.