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6h ago

Harlem Legionnaires’ Outbreak Slows at 113 Cases With Six Deaths After Tower Cleanup

Officials say DNA matching between patients and tower samples will determine accountability.

This 2009 colorized 8000X electron micrograph image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a large grouping of Gram-negative Legionella pneumophila bacteria.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Janice Haney Carr
The Parkchester North Condominium in Bronx, N.Y.
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Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in NYC Claims 6 Lives, 112 Cases Reported, Symptoms to Watch For

Overview

  • City testing found Legionella in 12 cooling towers across 10 Central Harlem sites, all of which have been disinfected, while investigators have not yet confirmed which tower or towers seeded the cluster.
  • Seven people remained hospitalized as of Aug. 26, and health officials continue urging residents in ZIP codes 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039—especially older adults and smokers—to seek prompt care for flu‑like symptoms.
  • Cooling‑tower oversight faces scrutiny after inspections fell to a post‑pandemic low and the Health Department’s inspection unit lost about one‑third of its staff since 2022, with City Council oversight hearings planned.
  • Legal claims are mounting, including lawsuits by construction workers who say they were exposed while working at or near Harlem Hospital, with attorneys alleging a preventable outbreak and negligence by contractors.
  • Separate Legionella clusters are being addressed, including a Bronx condominium plumbing evaluation not linked to Harlem and a redeclared outbreak in London, Ontario, where officials matched the strain to a Sofina Foods cooling tower.