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An outbreak of Legionnaires’ illness in New York Metropolis’s Harlem neighborhood thought to have originated in contaminated cooling towers has killed 5 individuals and put 14 within the hospital, well being officers mentioned on Monday.
“The NYC Health Department is currently investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem,” the New York Metropolis well being division mentioned in a press release.
“As of August 18, there are 108 confirmed cases, five deaths, 14 currently hospitalized.”
Legionnaires’ illness, which isn’t immediately contagious from individual to individual, is attributable to micro organism that may multiply in water and air-con methods.
Spreading by contaminated droplets, the bug may cause fever and pneumonia, particularly amongst individuals with weak immune methods.
The illness takes its title from the primary recognized outbreak, which occurred in 1976 at a resort in Philadelphia the place the American Legion navy veterans’ affiliation was holding a convention.
Greater than 220 individuals fell in poor health, of whom 34 died.
“The Health Department has sampled and tested water from cooling towers in the investigation zone. Any cooling towers with initial positive results for Legionella bacteria have completed the treatment required by the Health Department,” New York’s well being division mentioned in its assertion.
“This community outbreak is not related to a building’s hot or cold water supply.”
© 2025 AFP
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NYC Legionnaires’ illness outbreak kills 5 (2025, August 19)
retrieved 19 August 2025
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