5 deaths at NYC nursing home blamed on Legionnaires’ disease

NEW YORK (AP) — Five people died of Legionnaires’ disease over the summer at a New York City nursing home. The outbreak at Amsterdam Nursing Home was the city’s worst since 2015 when a cooling tower in the Bronx was blamed for an infection that caused 16 deaths. The New York Times reports that the home had been cited by the city for improper maintenance of the cooling towers where the Legionella bacteria can spread. A spokesperson for the nursing home says the facility has restricted water use since the outbreak. He says the facility is working with health authorities to clear the matter up.