A sixth person has tragically died due to the ongoing Legionnaire’s disease outbreak in Central Harlem, marking the highest death toll since the 2015 Bronx outbreak that resulted in 16 fatalities. This update was provided by the city health department on Thursday, highlighting the serious implications of this public health crisis.
The recent death brings the total number of individuals affected by the disease to 111, up from 109 reported the day before. While the number of hospitalizations has decreased from nine to seven, health officials remain vigilant as they monitor the situation closely. The city has indicated that the outbreak is beginning to wane, but the total number of cases may still rise as more individuals seek medical treatment and previous cases are confirmed as Legionnaire’s disease.
Legionnaire’s disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which can spread through contaminated water droplets. These bacteria are typically found in water-cooling towers, often located on rooftops. In Central Harlem, health officials have identified 12 water-cooling towers across 10 properties that tested positive for Legionella bacteria. The city completed remediation efforts for all 12 towers, some of which are connected to Harlem Hospital and other government facilities, by August 15.
Concerns have been raised regarding the maintenance and inspection of these water-cooling towers. Reports indicate that nine of the buildings involved in the outbreak had towers that were either overdue for required testing by the owners or had not been inspected by the city in the past year. A 2017 law mandates that these towers undergo inspections every three months to ensure public safety.
Despite a 30 percent increase in funding, the unit responsible for these inspections has lost a third of its staff since 2022, complicating efforts to manage and prevent such outbreaks. Acting City Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse confirmed earlier this week that public health laboratory experts are diligently working on DNA sequencing to pinpoint the exact origin of the recent outbreak.
