Legionnaires’ Outbreak Kills Five in New York City
(MENAFN) A deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Harlem, New York City, linked to contaminated cooling towers, has resulted in five fatalities and 14 hospitalizations as of Monday, city health officials reported.
“The NYC Health Department is currently investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires' disease in Central Harlem,” the department said in an official statement.
Data shows that “As of August 18, there are 108 confirmed cases, five deaths, 14 currently hospitalized.”
Legionnaires’ disease, caused by Legionella bacteria that flourish in warm water, is a severe type of pneumonia. While not contagious between people, it triggers flu-like symptoms and can escalate to fatal outcomes, the department explained.
“The Health Department has sampled and tested water from cooling towers in the investigation zone. Any cooling towers with initial positive results for Legionella bacteria have completed the treatment required by the Health Department,” the statement confirmed.
Authorities clarified that this outbreak is not connected to any building’s hot or cold water system.
The Legionella bacterium was first identified in 1976 after a significant outbreak at a Philadelphia hotel. The illness was named after the group affected—U.S. service members attending an American Legion convention.
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