A fourth person has died, and over 100 people have been sickened with Legionnaires’ disease — 15 of them currently hospitalized — amid an outbreak in central Harlem in New York City, health officials said Thursday.
The disease was initially detected on July 25. Since then, the New York City Department of Health has been investigating the cluster and linked it to 12 cooling towers in 10 Harlem buildings. Cooling towers are structures containing water and a fan that are used to regulate a building’s temperature.
Eleven of the 12 cooling towers that tested positive for the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease have been remediated, with the last one currently undergoing remediation, acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse said during a Thursday news conference.
Health officials released a list on Thursday that identifies the 10 buildings connected to the outbreak:
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BRP Companies, Lafayette Development LLC, 2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
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Commonwealth Local Development, 301 W. 124th St.
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CUNY — City College Marshak Science Building, 181 Convent Ave.
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Harlem Center Condo, 317 Lenox Ave.
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NYC Economic Development Corporation, 40 W. 137th St.
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NYC Health Department Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, 2238 Fifth Ave.
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NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, 506 Lenox Ave.
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The New York Hotel Trades Council Harlem Health Center, 133 Morningside Ave.
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Wharton Properties, 100 W. 125th St. (three of eight towers)
Overall, the following ZIP codes have been affected in Harlem: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039.
“We are continuing to urge all New Yorkers who live or work in the identified ZIP codes in central Harlem who have flu-like symptoms to contact a health care provider immediately,” Morse said.
“New Yorkers should know the air is safe to breathe, and we are seeing declining numbers of new cases each day,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told the media. “I want to thank the health workers who worked tirelessly to treat this community and make sure its residents are healthy.”
What is Legionnaires’ disease?
It’s a serious type of pneumonia, a lung infection, that is caused by Legionella bacteria.
People can become sick from inhaling water vapor that’s contaminated with Legionella bacteria. Less commonly, a person can get sick when water contaminated with the bacteria accidentally enters the lungs by aspiration.
How does it spread?
In general, Legionnaires’ is not transmitted from person to person. Legionella can grow and spread in human-made water systems like showerheads and sink faucets, hot tubs, decorative fountains, complex and large plumbing systems and cooling towers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are also factors that make it easier for Legionella to grow and survive in water, including:
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Biofilm, which is slime that enables germs to grow
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Temperatures from 77 degrees to 113 degrees Fahrenheit
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Not having enough disinfectant
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Slow or no water movement (read more from the CDC about how to prevent waterborne germs while away from your home)
What are the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease?
Symptoms usually appear in a person within two to 14 days after they’ve been exposed to the bacteria, the CDC says. Symptoms can be similar to other types of pneumonia, such as:
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Other symptoms can include confusion, diarrhea or nausea.
Who is at risk of getting sick?
Most healthy people exposed to Legionella don’t become ill, according to the CDC’s website. However, the following people are at increased risk of getting sick from the bacteria:
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People 50 years and older
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Current or former smokers
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People with specific health issues or conditions, like cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure and a weak immune system
Diagnosis and treatment
A chest X-ray can confirm if a person has pneumonia. But additional tests are needed to confirm if Legionella bacteria is the cause behind it, such as a urine test, or a lab test involving a sample from phlegm (sputum) or lung lavage (lung washing), according to the CDC.
The disease is treatable with antibiotics, but hospital care is often needed.
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