On Friday, the New York City Health Department announced that the Central Harlem community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease has ended. The last day that New Yorkers who live or work in the area began feeling symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease was August 9.
As of August 28, there have been 114 cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with this cluster; 90 people have been hospitalized; six remain hospitalized; and, unfortunately, seven people have died.
In the Central Harlem cluster, at least 90 percent (104) of the people with Legionnaires’ disease had a known risk factor for severe disease, including being age 50 years and above, people who smoke, people with chronic lung disease or chronic conditions, or having a compromised immune system.
“As the city’s doctor, my thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by the spread of Legionella, and our hearts are with the families who lost a loved one,” said NYC Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “Thank you to the residents of Central Harlem, the elected officials, and community leaders who worked with the agency to keep New Yorkers informed. After an extensive investigation, we were able to identify two cooling towers that had a genetic match with patient specimens. We are working with building owners on next steps to protect the health and safety of Harlem residents and to prevent future clusters.”
Legionnaires’ disease, Part 1: An interview with Dr. Mark Edwards and Sarah Ferrari
After extensive investigation that included cutting-edge molecular analysis of Legionella bacteria from human and cooling tower specimens, the Health Department’s Public Health Laboratory matched the Legionella strain found in cooling towers located at two locations: NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem (Harlem Hospital), located at 506 Lenox Avenue, and a nearby construction site overseen by NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and construction contractor Skanska USA located at 40 West 137th Street with the strain found in seven patients.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm, stagnant water. Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. In some cases, Legionnaires’ disease can be traced to contaminated water systems, particularly where conditions favor the growth of Legionella, such as cooling towers. People can get sick by breathing in water vapor containing Legionella bacteria, which may be emitted by cooling towers. It is not transmitted from person to person. Legionnaires’ disease is not caused by drinking water. During a community cluster, the elevated risk from a contaminated cooling tower is to the surrounding neighborhood.