All cooling towers linked to Harlem Legionnaires’ outbreak have been disinfected, officials say
All cooling towers linked to Harlem Legionnaires’ outbreak have been disinfected, officials say
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A fifth person has died from the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem, New York City’s health department said Monday.
So far, there have been 108 confirmed cases of the potentially deadly form of pneumonia in Central Harlem since late July, officials said. Fourteen people remain hospitalized.
The Legionnaires’ disease outbreak was traced to 12 cooling towers at buildings in Central Harlem, including four that are city-run, like Harlem Hospital and a CUNY building, officials said. All of the towers have since been disinfected, officials said.
The cases have been clustered around five Central Harlem zip codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039.
In response to the outbreak, city officials have proposed stricter rules around cooling towers to boost testing and reporting requirements, and impose penalties on those who do not comply.
The Legionella bacteria grows in warm, stagnant water and spreads through mist in the air. There is no person-to-person transmission.
Symptoms of the disease can resemble the flu, including cough, fever, chills, muscle aches and shortness of breath. It can take up to two weeks for symptoms to show up. People over 50 and smokers are at greater risk.