Two people have died and at least 58 others have fallen ill from a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, health officials announced Monday.
This marks a sharp increase from just last week, when only one death and 22 cases were reported.
The New York City Department of Health is investigating the cluster, which began to surface on July 25.
Highlights
- Two people died and 58 fell ill in a Harlem Legionnaires’ outbreak, a sharp rise from 22 cases and one death last week.
- Outbreak cases are spread across five Harlem zip codes plus nearby areas in New York City.
- Eleven cooling towers tested positive for Legionella; all have been remediated by city officials.
Two people have died and 58 are ill from a Legionnaires disease outbreak in New York
Image credits: Ajay Suresh/Wikimedia Commons
The affected cases are spread across five Harlem zip codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039, as well as nearby areas.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria.
These bacteria thrive in warm water environments, such as cooling towers, hot tubs, whirlpool spas, humidifiers, and large air conditioning systems.
People become infected by breathing in water vapor that contains the bacteria. However, the disease cannot spread from person to person.
The health department has identified 11 cooling towers in the area that tested positive for Legionella pneumophila, the bacteria responsible for the disease. All these towers have since undergone remediation as required by city officials.
Image credits: United States Zip Codes
“Anyone in these zip codes with flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse.
“Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older and those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.”
Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics if caught early. But if left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications and death.
The disease gets its name from a 1976 outbreak among attendees of a Pennsylvania American Legion convention.
Image credits: Picryl
Since then, it has been linked to contaminated water systems in buildings.
Officials have not released details about the two individuals who died.
The health department has assured people that they are aggressively testing cooling towers for the bacteria.
These are not the first cases of Legionnaires in recent years. In 2022, an outbreak in a Manhattan nursing home killed five people, and in 2014 in Michigan, a water crisis led to 12 deaths.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Cases have also been reported elsewhere in the world. Earlier this year, one man died and eight others were hospitalized in Sydney after a Legionnaire’s outbreak.
“Since late May, seven Potts Point residents have been diagnosed and hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease,” a statement from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District read.
There was also an outbreak of the disease in London, Ontario, on July 8, which killed two people and left 64 people sick.