The first patient at the hospital with Legionnaires' disease to die on Sept. 12 at St. Peter's University Hospital in the city of New Brunswick was a 58-year-old man from Old Bridge. The name and identity of the second patient, who died on Monday, could not be immediately obtained.
Six more patients, three men and three women, were confirmed to have contracted the disease at the hospital since Sept. 12. State and hospital officials said that number has not climbed, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported.
The hospital is taking measures to kill the bacterium that grows in warm water and has added chlorine to its water supply.
Legionnaire's disease was named and identified after a group of American Legion members who were sickened by bacteria in the air conditioning at a Philadelphia hotel where they were attending a convention.
Each year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease in the U.S. More illness is found in the summer and early fall, but it can happen any time of year.
