WHYY Legionnaires’ disease was named after a large outbreak in Philadelphia sickened hundreds of American Legion veterans in the summer of 1976. From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been generally on the rise for the last 50 years, ever since the disease was first identified and named after an outbreak in Philadelphia during the summer of 1976.
New York City just recently saw 114 cases, which included 90 hospitalizations and seven deaths in the Central Harlem area. The responsible bacteria were found in air conditioning cooling towers at a local hospital and at a nearby construction site, and health officials have now declared this outbreak as officially over.
Experts say Legionella pneumophila, the bacteria that causes the illness, isn’t any more dangerous today than it was back in 1976. But they warn that humans as hosts have perhaps become more susceptible to the disease over time. “We have dirtier air, we have a warming climate, we have people with chronic conditions,” said Dr. René Najera, director of public health at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. “And in a warming climate, that leads to more air conditioning, which leads to more exposures, right? So, it’s this cycle that unfortunately is not just for Legionnaires’, but for other bacteria and viruses, it’s expanding.”
How a Philadelphia convention led to a mysterious illness among Pennsylvania veterans
Finding the cause of Legionnaires’ disease almost 50 years ago took a massive effort by scientists and public health officials. They banded together from all levels of government, launching one of the largest disease investigations in U.S. history to solve a medical mystery.
The summer of 1976 was a time of many celebrations in Philadelphia. The city was entertaining visitors for the bicentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the country’s birth.