Third person has died, 67 sickened from Legionnaires' cluster in Harlem
The disease was initially detected on July 25; since then, three people have died and 67 people have been diagnosed, the New York City Health Department revealed in its latest update. That's up from the same numbers reported just a day ago, with the Health Department said there had been two deaths and 58 confirmed cases.
Legionnaires', a type of pneumonia, is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water. The cases from the cluster have been found in five Harlem ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039, along with the bordering communities, according to health officials.
'If you're in those ZIP codes that have demonstrated exposure, then we want you to monitor your symptoms and get to a healthcare provider as soon as you can so you can get access to antibiotics, because it is treatable,' said Dr. Tony Eyssallenne, the deputy chief medical officer for the city's Health Department.
All cooling towers operating in the impacted area have been sampled, and the Health Department has told owners of buildings where positive results were found to initiate remediation within a day.
Those who have been in the impacted area since late July and have been experiencing flu-like symptoms, fever, cough or difficulty breathing should seek medial attention immediately, according to the Health Department.
Legionnaires' disease is not transmitted from person to person, and is treatable with antibiotics. It spread by breathing in water vapor containing the Legionella bacteria. Conditions for the bacteria to grow are favorable in things like cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks and condensers of large air-conditioning systems.
An investigation is ongoing.
Individuals at higher risk include those 50 years old and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems. People living or working in the area who are experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention with a primary care provider or seek urgent care, officials say.
In 2022, at least five people died of Legionnaires' disease over the summer at a Manhattan nursing home in the city's worst outbreak, in terms of total cases, since a cooling tower in the Bronx was blamed for an infection that caused 16 deaths. Usually, about 200 to 700 people are diagnosed each year, official health data shows.
What is Legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires' is a type of pneumonia, or a lung infection, the state DOH said.
The legionella bacteria can also lead to a milder illness called Pontiac fever, which resembles flu-like symptoms.
How does it spread?
Legionella bacteria spread when someone inhales tiny droplets of contaminated water, commonly found in hot tubs, industrial air conditioning systems, decorative fountains, plumbing systems and even drinking water.
Outbreaks often occur in large and complex water systems found in places like hotels, hospitals, and cruise ships.
The bacteria can also survive and spread in soil, occasionally causing infections when people garden using contaminated soil.
However, in most cases, people do not transmit Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever to others.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease typically appear between two to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria and can include:
Headache
Muscle aches
Shortness of breath
Cough
Fever
The New Jersey Department of Health noted that the symptoms can be similar to those of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses like the flu. Only tests ordered by a doctor can confirm a diagnosis.
Who is at higher risk?
Those most susceptible to Legionnaires' disease include adults over 50, individuals with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions, and smokers.
It is rarer for healthy people who are exposed to the legionella bacteria to develop Legionnaires' disease.
Can it be treated?
Antibiotics are used to treat Legionnaires' disease, though it often requires hospitalization.
Anyone suspecting exposure to Legionella or experiencing symptoms of Legionella disease or pneumonia should promptly contact a doctor. It's important to mention any exposure to Legionella, hot tub use, recent travels, or hospital stays in the past two weeks.
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The deadly Legionnaires' outbreak gripping Harlem has city officials in hot water — as locals accused them Friday of dropping the ball on life-saving inspections and needlessly slow-walking revealing exactly where the disease hit. Many outraged Harlem residents told The Post they only learned that they lived or worked in one of 10 buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for the insidious Legionnaires'-causing bacterium after the list was unveiled Thursday — weeks into the outbreak that has killed four people. 'Why weren't these cooling towers properly maintained? Who dropped the ball and why?' raged Nichole Ingram, who fell ill with Legionnaires' disease around July 24 after she attended a funeral service in 2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd, one of the affected buildings. 4 The Department of Health confirms that four New Yorkers have died amidst the outbreak, along with 17 individuals still hospitalized with a total of 99 cases confirmed. Rob Jejenich / NY Post Design Ingram, 53, said her son Raymond, an asthmatic 35-year-old, was still hospitalized with the flu-like, respiratory illness in New York-Presbyterian Hospital after a stay in Harlem Hospital — one of several city-owned buildings with affected cooling towers. 'Why buildings in Harlem and not in lower Manhattan? People are losing their lives unnecessarily,' she said. The outbreak comes amid a drop in cooling tower inspections. Only roughly 1,200 cooling towers were inspected for Legionnaires' bacteria during the first six months of this year, compared to nearly 5,100 at the same point in 2017, data provided by the city Department of Health shows. Building owners by law are required to test for the disease-causing bacteria Legionella every 90 days to avoid outbreaks. Four New Yorkers have died in the current outbreak and 17 remain hospitalized out of 99 confirmed cases, DOH officials said Thursday. Officials that day also finally released — after weeks of only providing five ZIP codes — the addresses of the buildings with the 12 total cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella. All but one of the 10 buildings were either behind on the mandated testing or had cooling towers that weren't checked at all this year, according to Gothamist. 4 Nichole Ingram, 52, one of the individuals affected by the deadly Legionnaires' outbreak, told The Post, 'Why weren't these cooling towers properly maintained?' mentioning her son Raymond, 35, is still recovering in the hospital. Obtained by NY Post In addition to Harlem Hospital, the city-owned buildings with affected cooling towers were Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and CUNY's Marshak Science Building, the DOH said. Health Commissioner Michelle Morse argued the city withheld the building addresses to help keep all New Yorkers vigilant, regardless of where they live. 'We did not want people to think, well, I don't live there, I don't have to worry,' she said. But New Yorkers who live and work in the buildings were horrified after the last-minute revelation — with some only hearing it from The Post on Friday. 'You're going to a hospital for a care and there's a possibility you're getting sick because of the lack of inspections?' asked Mariela L. 57, who was visiting a family member at Harlem Hospital. 'That's irresponsible on the city's part. To my knowledge, they did not inform the patients before the news broke. My family member found out from me and I found out from the news.' A manager at GNC Live Well in 215 West 125th Street, an affected building also with medical offices and a bank, said he didn't know until Friday. 'Nobody from the building told us anything,' he said. 'We're the last to find out. We find out when the damage is done, the ship is sinking.' 4 The Gothamist reported that 10 of the buildings where the center of the outbreak has occurred were either behind on the mandated testing or had cooling towers that weren't checked yet this year. Google Earth Legionnaires' bacteria is found in freshwater and can grow in water systems such as those used for air conditioning large buildings, especially during warmer weather. Mist released by the cooling towers can send the bacteria into the air, and if inhaled, it can cause Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia. The last wave of Legionnaires' this rampant hit the Big Apple a decade ago — and prompted the cooling tower inspection law. In summer 2015, toxic cooling towers at the Opera House Hotel infected more than 100 and killed 12 in the South Bronx, following a smaller outbreak in Co-op City earlier that year. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters But despite the legislation requiring regular testing, another widespread outbreak hit Washington Heights in upper Manhattan in 2018, killing one person and sickening 60 others. Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), who sits on the body's health committee, promised a 'hard-hitting hearing' in September over the health department's failures in the most recent outbreak. 'I think it's unconscionable that we have a department of health with a staffing vacancy rate hovering around 9%,' she said. 'And that the city wouldn't even initially disclose the locations of the cooling towers that tested positive even though multiple locations — four of them in fact — were city owned buildings. We clearly needed faster and more transparent government response to legionnaires that keeps New York are safe.' 4 The NYC Health Department Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic was among the sites linked to the outbreak. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post State Sen. Cordell Cleare (D-Manhattan) questioned why the outbreak was concentrated in Harlem. 'Surely, the Legionella bacteria do not have a special affiliation with our neighborhood?' she said. 'We question why it only seems to be in this area. We do not want to be the canaries in the coal mine.' Ingram's lawyer, Jory Lange, is representing 31 patients in the latest Legionnaires' outbreak and will likely be filing a lawsuit when the actual source of the outbreak is identified. Lange said simple maintenance, akin to using chlorine to clean a pool, is all that's needed to keep Legionnaires' at bay. 'A Legionnaires' outbreak should not be happening in 2025. We're seeing this every summer in New York,' he said. 'People are breaking the law.' — Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts, Matthew Fischetti, Vaughn Golden and Craig McCarthy
