DAILY NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Co-op City residents mad that they weren't told about Legionnaire's disease cases there.
The City Department of Health confirmed two cases of the bacterial pneumonia in Coop City in 2012 and 2013, and found no contamination. Co-op City's management says there is no evidence the infected residents contracted the illness in Co-op City.
Building 27 in Co-op City Wednesday. The building was the site of two cases of Legionnaires' disease in 2012 and 2013.
Two cases of Legionnaire's disease that sickened a pair of residents of Co-op City over the course of nearly two years was withheld by management of the 15,000-unit North Bronx complex until now, the Daily News has learned.
The potentially deadly form of bacterial pneumonia in Building 27 - one case in the summer of 2012 and another in July - may have been transmitted through contaminated shower heads in the building - but residents were never alerted.
"Any potentially deadly form of anything that is in the residence you live in that is not made known to the residents is almost a crime," said resident Aman-Ra Jack, 32, when informed of the cases Wednesday. "That's crazy!"
Officials from RiverBay, which operates Co-op City, said the Department of Health investigated and gave Co-op City a clean bill of health in December. They claimed there was no evidence that the infected residents contracted the illness in the building, which is why residents were never told.
"There is no reason to panic," RiverBay Managing Agent Herbert Freedman said. "We had no outbreak of any kind or nature. Two cases, a year apart, is not an outbreak."
Health Dept. officials insisted on Wednesday that the investigation - conducted five months after the last known case of the disease - cleared Co-Op City of any fault.
"We investigated their water system an found no evidence of a problem with their water supply, and no evidence that the water at Co-op City made anyone sick," said a spokesperson.
The agency also recommended disinfecting shower heads and faucets, running the water in vacant apartments and keeping hot water over 120 degrees and cold water under 68 degrees.
But residents of Building 27 - which consists of 100, 120 and 140 Erdman Place - said they deserved to be alerted.
"Somebody should've told us," said elderly resident Clara Williams, 82, who has lived in Co-op City for more than 40 years. "They should've put a sign up or something."
Legionnaires' disease is spread through water vapor, water systems and whirlpool spas, and victims develop pneumonia, fever and a cough two days to two weeks after being exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Officials from SEIU 32BJ, whose members install and maintain shower heads in Co-op City homes, said they were trying to determine whether the workers were put at risk.
"We were just informed of the situation and are investigating whether our members were exposed to this disease," said Kyle Bragg, secretary-treasurer of 32BJ. "We have expressed our concern to management that workers and tenants are told whenever there is a serious health threat."
The best-known outbreak of Legionnaires' disease happened in 1976 during the American Legion convention in Philadelphia. More than 100 people contracted the illness, and 25 died.
jcunningham@nydailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/legionnaire-disease-cases-co-op-city-wraps-residents-article-1.1711946
THE CO-OP CITY INFORMATION NETWORK
http://www.coopcityinfo.com
