New York City health officials are investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem as the number of cases in the outbreak reached 113, the city’s health department announced.
The New York City Health Department said it is investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease across five ZIP codes in Central Harlem. Since the outbreak began on July 25, the city health department has reported 113 cases of the disease in the neighborhood. As of Aug. 26, seven people diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease were hospitalized.
Meanwhile, the New York City Health Department was evaluating the Parkchester Condominiums in the east Bronx after four people were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease over the last year, Gothamist and News12 Bronx reported. The department said the cluster is concentrated in two buildings, according to Gothamist.
A city health department notice posted at the condominium complex on Aug. 22, obtained by News12 Bronx, stated that two residents were reported sick with Legionnaires’ disease within the past 12 months. The department told Gothamist that it began its investigation at the Parkchester South Condominium after the residents had tested positive within two months of each other.
An evaluation was also initiated at the Parkchester North Condominium in June after two other cases were reported within 10 months, according to Gothamist. The city health department said the Bronx cluster is linked to a growth of Legionella bacteria in the building’s hot water system and is not related to the Central Harlem outbreak, News12 Bronx and NBC New York reported.
City health officials noted that the cases are more self-contained compared to the outbreak in Central Harlem, which is tied to cooling towers, according to NBC New York. The city health department did not respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment on Aug. 26.
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On Aug. 21, the city health department discovered a sixth death linked to the Central Harlem outbreak. Dr. Michelle Morse, acting commissioner of the city health department, said in a statement on X that the person had died before mid-August.
Just days before the sixth death was confirmed, the city health department reported that a fifth death was associated with the Central Harlem cluster. That case also involved a person who died before mid-August.
“Epidemiological evidence continues to show remediation efforts have been effective,” Morse said in the statement, reiterating that the investigation into the outbreak remains ongoing and that the risk to most people in Central Harlem is low.
The city health department previously said that 12 cooling towers in the neighborhood had tested positive for the Legionella bacteria. Remediation efforts for all of the towers have since been completed.
Health officials have noted that the outbreak is not related to any building’s hot or cold water supply and that the plumbing system was separate from the cooling tower system. People should continue to use air conditioning, including window units, and other appliances that use water, the city health department said.
On Aug. 20, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced that he had filed lawsuits against two construction companies over what he called a “completely preventable” outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem. Crump accused the construction companies and the city of negligence, saying the companies had cut corners.
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What is Legionnaires’ disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms, which can develop up to 14 days after exposure, include cough, fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.
It is caused by consuming water or breathing in water vapor contaminated with Legionella bacteria, according to the CDC. The disease can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for bacterial growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems.
Considered a rare disease, the American Lung Association said Legionnaires’ disease is a growing health concern. It has steadily become more common nationwide in recent decades, according to the CDC, and research has shown that hotter, more humid temperatures have contributed to the increase in cases.
Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics, the CDC said. Most healthy people who get infected usually get better, but about one in 10 people who get the disease die due to complications from it.
The best way to prevent Legionnaires’ disease is by cleaning pipes and devices that use water, according to the CDC. And health officials have urged people at higher risk — including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems — to immediately seek medical care if they have symptoms.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, and N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Legionnaires’ cases probed in Central Harlem as infections hit 113
