Final cooling tower in Harlem Legionnaires' cluster remediated amid 4th death
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- The final of 12 affected cooling towers in the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem was remediated on Friday.
All 12 cooling towers in Central Harlem that tested culture positive for live Legionella bacteria have been fully drained, cleaned, and disinfected.
It comes the day after New York City officials announced another death on Thursday.
The outbreak has resulted in 101 cases and four deaths since it started weeks ago. Officials say 15 people remain hospitalized.
RELATED | What to know about Legionnaires' disease
City health officials have linked the 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.
For the first time since the outbreak started, city officials identified which buildings are connected to the outbreak -- and Mayor Eric Adams revealed that one of the buildings is Harlem Hospital.
The cooling towers are located at:
- BRP Companies, Lafayette Development LLC, 2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard
- BVK, 215 West 125th Street
- Commonwealth Local Development, 301 West 124th Street
- CUNY - City College Marshak Science Building, 181 Convent Avenue
- Harlem Center Condo, 317 Lenox Avenue
- NYC Economic Development Corporation, 40 West 137th Street
- NYC Health Department Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, 2238 Fifth Avenue
- NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem Hospital, 506 Lenox Avenue
- The New York Hotel Trades Council Harlem Health Center, 133 Morningside Avenue
- Wharton Properties, 100 West 125th Street (3 of 8 towers)
The number of new cases of Legionnaires' disease being reported has started to decline, suggesting that the bacteria's source has been contained.
City officials said they are still working to confirm which specific cooling tower caused the current outbreak.
Denise Merchant says she was not surprised to learn that the cooling tower at Harlem Hospital is one of the locations linked to the deadly outbreak.
Her sister Valerie continues to recover from a bout that nearly killed her as she is being treated in the very place that might have sickened her.
"She doesn't go anywhere. She goes to Harlem Hospital for her doctor's visits, so she's in the area. She goes home and that's it," Merchant said.
Jory Lange represents 31 victims of this outbreak, including Nichole Ingram, who is now out of the hospital.
But her son is not.
"The hospital is the worst possible place to have a positive Legionella test because these are the people who are most vulnerable to it. I mean that's a really serious concern," Lange said.
They were also among the first cases diagnosed and live around the corner from Harlem Hospital.
"You would think that those places would be maintained you know, versus private buildings and the fact that it hasn't and it's so close,and it's an intricate part of the community, that's very troubling," Ingram said.
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