3 Die Amid Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at an Assisted Living Home

Three people who tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease have died amid an outbreak at an assisted living home in Albany, N.Y., that sickened at least seven others, officials said on Friday.

The deaths came amid what Maribeth Miller, the interim Albany County health commissioner, described in an email as a “cluster” of Legionnaires’ cases at the Peregrine Senior Living at Shaker home that officials had learned of on Aug. 30.

Water samples from the home showed the presence of Legionella bacteria, which causes the disease, Ms. Miller wrote. She said the county Health Department had placed certain restrictions on water use at the home, one of 11 that Peregrine operates in New York and Maryland, while more tests were conducted. Water filters have been installed on some showers and sinks so that residents can still use bathrooms, she added.

“There is no threat to the community at large,” Ms. Miller wrote.

Kristyn Ganim, the home’s executive director, said employees had been working with health officials to address the outbreak. In addition to installing filters across the water treatment system, she said, staff members were providing residents with bottled water.

“I want to reassure all of our residents, staff and visitors that our community is completely safe,” she said in a statement.

Legionella bacteria occurs naturally in water, and people typically contract Legionnaires’ disease by inhaling mists or water vapor containing the bacteria, according to the state Health Department. The bacteria can grow in poorly maintained industrial water systems; cooling towers; or heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.