Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in Harlem
A second individual has died from Legionnaires’ disease, with 58 others reported sick in a developing outbreak in Central Harlem, as per the latest information from the city health department.
While the city did not release specific details regarding the fatalities, they urged anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms in specific ZIP codes to seek medical attention. Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse emphasized that timely treatment can effectively manage Legionnaires’ disease.
The affected ZIP codes are 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039, encompassing parts of Harlem from 116th to 155th streets, as pointed out by the health department.
The first death linked to this outbreak was reported on July 30, when 22 confirmed cases were already noted.
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which can thrive in water cooling towers atop many buildings throughout the city. It spreads when individuals inhale vapor from contaminated water, leading to flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fever, chills, muscle pain, or trouble breathing.
As of Monday, 11 buildings that tested positive for the bacteria have completed necessary remediation actions, including cleaning their cooling towers and modifying the chemicals used for treatment. This follows a directive from the health department on July 30, mandating screenings for all cooling towers in the affected regions.
The specific addresses of these 11 buildings haven’t been disclosed by the city. According to Chantal Gomez, a spokesperson for the health department, a public health lab is still investigating which cooling tower may have been responsible for the illnesses. Further cleaning and remediation will be ordered once the source is confirmed.
These remediation efforts are intended to reduce the number of new infections, Gomez noted. However, she mentioned that more cases might still emerge, as symptoms can take several days to appear after infection.
Health officials clarified that this cluster of Legionnaires’ disease isn’t linked to any particular plumbing issues within buildings, and residents in the impacted ZIP codes can safely use tap water, shower, cook, and run their air conditioning.
Those at greater risk for severe symptoms include individuals over 50, smokers, or those with chronic lung conditions or weakened immune systems, according to city health officials.
In the last decade, New York City has seen several hundred cases of Legionnaires’ each year, and last year, 257 cases were recorded based on preliminary health department data.
In 2022, five deaths were attributed to an outbreak at a nursing home in Manhattan, marking the city’s most severe outbreak since 2015, when a cooling tower in the Bronx was linked to 16 fatalities.
The disease is named after a 1976 incident that resulted in 34 deaths and 221 illnesses at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia during an American Legion convention. Investigations later linked the outbreak to the Legionella bacteria found in the hotel’s air conditioning system.
