New York health officials announced that 10 people have died as the result of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York City, while 100 people have been infected.

So far, 53 of the patients diagnosed with the respiratory bacterial infection have been treated and released from the hospital, reports CBS New York.

The disease, which is a severe form of bacterial pneumonia, is caused by breathing in mist that comes from a water source, like cooling towers, air conditioning or showers. However, the water-borne illness cannot be transmitted from person to person.

The symptoms include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, chills, confusion and diarrhea. They typically start to appear between two to 10 days after one experiences significant exposure to the bacteria.

Health officials say the outbreak began in the South Bronx, and that five of 17 cooling towers inspected for legionella bacteria in the borough tested positive. The five towers were at Streamline Plastic Co., Lincoln Hospital, the Concourse Plaza shopping center near Yankee Stadium, the Opera House Hotel, and a Verizon office building. Since then, all five have been decontaminated.

Officials added that the city's drinking water, pools, fountains, water towers and buildings cooled with air conditioners pose no risk to public safety.

In a statement, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr. said that he and Council Member Vanessa Gibson have proposed legislation "to ensure that we are proactive against the further spread of the Legionnaires Disease." Díaz also praised Mayor Bill de Blasio's "push for testing buildings throughout the city" as a positive step "in eliminating this problem while finding solutions to prevent yet another outbreak."

On Monday, Mayor de Blasio announced that a "comprehensive package" of new legislation would be introduced to stop and prevent future outbreaks.

He also said that outbreaks of the disease "have become far too common over the past ten years, and the City will respond not by only addressing an outbreak as it occurs, but with a new plan to help prevent these outbreaks from happening in the first place," according to USA Today.