3 dead, 83 sickened in Legionnaires' outbreak in Harlem, 11 cooling towers remediated
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- An investigation is underway after 83 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease in Harlem has left three people dead since late July.
City health officials link the Central Harlem outbreak to cooling towers, structures containing water and a fan that are used to cool buildings.
Health officials say you can get the disease by breathing in water vapor that has Legionella bacteria, which grows in warm water.
The health department hasn't said which buildings have been affected, but 11 cooling towers -- where screening results were positive for Legionella bacteria -- have been remediated.
"I want to start by telling you that all of the towers that have tested positive have been treated with anti-bacterial treatments to end of the spread of the bacteria," said acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse.
Morse said that was done last week because they know the bacteria can spread quickly.
Officials are continuing to investigate buildings in a number of ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039.
Denise Merchant has spent days at the bedside of her sister Valerie at Harlem Hospital. She's just one of the dozens of confirmed cases of Legionnaires' throughout Harlem. EMS rushed her to the hospital Saturday with a temperature of 104, just hours from septic shock.
"We need more information," Merchant said. We need to know what locations put them out there. Who, what buildings tested positive."
But the city refuses to release that information. On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams said it's about medical privacy.
"You don't do anything that's going to violate the privacy of individuals who live in a particular building," Adams said. "And they tell me, 'Eric, you can't give exact locations if someone had Legionnaires' disease, it's something that you can't do.'"
Community leaders say they should have been better regulated in the first place.
"This keeps popping up in Black and Brown communities," New York State Senator Cordell Cleare said. "This is a plague that seems only to affect us. We need to find out what those gaps are, what is it that's being neglected. Our health should not be compromised because of a maintenance issue."
Harlem Councilman Yusef Salaam addressed the outbreak on Thursday and said he is working closely with the health department to make sure anyone infected can get the help they need.
"I want Harlem residents to know that my office is working closely in coordination with the mayor's office and the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to ensure that every contaminated cooling tower is remedied immediately," Salaam said.
He encouraged anyone with flu-like symptoms to seek medical care.
The outbreak in Harlem is not expected to spread to other communities, a spokesperson at the NYC Department of Health told ABC News.
People responsible for the safety of buildings and water systems can reduce the threat by taking steps to minimize the growth of the bacteria, the WHO said. For example, they should regularly clean and disinfect cooling towers, maintain an adequate level of chlorine in spa pools and flush unused taps in buildings weekly.
There are also steps people can take to reduce the risk of Legionnaires' disease at home. New York state health officials suggest draining garden hoses; following manufacturers' instructions for cleaning and replacing water filters; checking chlorine levels in pools and hot tubs regularly and flushing hot water heaters twice a year.
If you have Legionnaires' disease, you might feel flu-like symptoms. People over 50, smokers and those with compromised immune systems are more at risk.
While the disease can be deadly, it can also be treated with antibiotics.
ALSO READ | Harlem woman diagnosed with Legionnaires' describes symptoms: 'My body is hurting really bad'
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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