Things are returning back to normal at Sunharbor Manor nursing home in Roslyn Heights after an unsettling week in which two cases of Legionnaire's disease were discovered.

After contracting the disease, both patients died. Officials at Sunharbor could only confirm that the fatalities occurred early last week. The facility has also declined to release the names of the deceased.

According to published reports, Jeffrey Hammond, a spokesman for the New York State Health Department, said that it is not certain that Legionnaire's is the exact cause of the Sunharbor deaths.

At the same time, Sunharbor officials have taken action to ensure the safety of the nursing home's basic facilities.

After the cases were discovered, officials undertook a thorough testing of both the nursing home's water and air conditioning.

Mel Hitt, an administrator at Sunharbor, said the results from the water testing came back, with all being "within normal limits."

Hitt added that Sunharbor is working with both the New York State Department of Health and World Wide Water Technologies, the nursing home's water treatment company to "further ensure the safety of residents and staff."

"We may never know the exact source of the bacteria, but we are taking precautions to prevent further cases," said Hitt, in a letter sent to residents and families and "responsible" parties. "We suspended the use of showers and whirpool baths. The air conditioning system has been cleaned and treated and is constantly monitored for possible bacteria growth. We will be monitoring our water for the next couple of months to make sure that we have no bacterial growth that could cause illness. Any resident who presents with a cough, congestion and temperature above 100 degrees is automatically given a chest x-ray and urine antigen test for Legionella and will be treated appropriately."

After the successful water test, Sunharbor officials also resumed showers and whirpool baths.

In his letter, Hitt explained that Legionella bacteria is a bacteria found in most water supplies. It becomes a problem, he noted, when certain conditions exist, namely high water temperatures that eventually become aerosolized. People at risk are usually those with compromised immune systems. Legionnaire's disease presents itself as pneumonia and is treated with the same antibiotics as any other case of bacterial pneumonia, Hitt added.

The deaths of the two patients at Sunharbor were followed by a similar outbreak of Legionnaire's at Sunrise Assisting Living in Smithtown. The three Smithtown cases were confirmed by Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, commissioner of Suffolk County Health Services. Following that outbreak, one patient at Smithtown died. Dr. Chaudhry, also, has not determined that Legionnaire's was the cause of the death.

In addition, the Suffolk County Health Services has reported that a West Sayville man also contracted Legionnaire's at his private residence. Health service officials do not consider the Sunharbor and Sunrise cases to be related. However, the outbreak has sparked investigations by state Health Department officials.