A second individual has died and 58 others have fallen unwell amid an outbreak of legionnaires’ illness wreaking havoc within the Harlem space, New York Metropolis well being officers introduced.
It marks a rise from earlier figures launched by the New York Metropolis Well being Division on Thursday, when there was a complete of twenty-two reported instances and a single loss of life linked to the rising cluster.
In an announcement on Monday, performing New York Metropolis well being commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse urged anybody within the space affected by flu-like signs to “contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible.”
“It is especially important for people at higher risk — including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems — to get care if they have symptoms,” Morse added.
Legionnaires’ illness is a sort of pneumonia brought on by the micro organism legionella, which grows in heat water. In accordance with the New York Metropolis Well being Division, it “can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for legionella growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems.”
And whereas it can’t be handed from individual to individual, it may be contracted by inhaling any contaminated water vapor.
The New Metropolis Division of Well being is investigating the cluster.
For the reason that outbreak was initially detected on July 25; crews have repaired “the 11 cooling towers with initial positive screening results showing the presence of Legionella pneumophila, a type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.”
Initially Printed: August 5, 2025 at 10:50 AM EDT
