Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in Harlem Claims Five Lives
ISTANBUL – A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood has killed five people and left 14 hospitalized, officials confirmed on Monday. Health authorities linked the outbreak to contaminated cooling towers.
The NYC Health Department said in a statement that it is investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem. As of August 18, officials recorded 108 confirmed cases, with five deaths and 14 people still in hospitals.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water. The illness is not spread from person to person. Instead, it develops through exposure to contaminated water and often produces flu-like symptoms that may lead to fatal complications.
Health teams collected and tested water samples from cooling towers in the investigation zone. Towers that showed initial traces of Legionella have already undergone treatment, officials reported. Importantly, the department noted that the outbreak did not stem from any building’s hot or cold water system.
The bacterium was first identified in 1976 after a major outbreak at a Philadelphia hotel. The incident, which affected U.S. service members attending an American Legion convention, gave the disease its name.
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