New York City has declared the deadly legionnaires’ disease outbreak in central Harlem over, nearly three weeks since it began.
On Friday, city health officials announced that there have been no new cases among residents who live or work in the area since 9 August. As of Friday, there have been 114 cases of legionnaires’ disease, with 90 people hospitalized – six of those remaining in hospital – and seven deaths.
In a statement on Friday, New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, said: “Today marks three weeks since someone with symptoms was identified, which means New Yorkers should be able to breathe a sigh of relief that residents and visitors to central Harlem are no longer at an increased risk of contracting legionnaires’ disease – but our job here is not done.”
“We must ensure that we learn from this and implement new steps to improve our detection and response to future clusters, because public safety is at the heart of everything we do … This is an unfortunate tragedy for New York City and the people of central Harlem as we mourn the seven people who lost their lives and pray for those who are still being treated,” he added.
The disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by the legionella bacteria which can be spread from water systems and devices to people. Such water systems include shower heads, sink faucets, hot tubs, decorative fountains, large plumbing systems and cooling towers.
Following an investigation, health officials were able to trace the bacteria back to cooling towers atop the city-run Harlem Hospital and a nearby construction site overseen by the city.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common way for someone to get sick is by breathing in mist containing legionella. Another way that the disease can be contracted is if someone accidentally swallows contaminated water and it enters their lungs, also known as aspiration.
Most healthy people who are exposed to the bacteria do not get sick. Those who are more susceptible to contracting the disease include current or former smokers and people 50 years or older, as well as those with specific health issues.
Symptoms usually develop two to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria and include cough, fever, headaches and muscle aches as well as shortness of breath. Other symptoms include confusion, diarrhea or nausea.
Following the outbreak, all facilities with legionella-positive test results completed full cleaning and disinfection as directed by city officials.
Michelle Morse, New York City’s acting health commissioner, said: “As the city’s doctor, my thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by the spread of legionella, and our hearts are with the families who lost a loved one … We are working with building owners on next steps to protect the health and safety of Harlem residents and to prevent future clusters.”
Following the outbreak, the Adams administration issued a slew of new proposals that include expanding the health department’s capacity to inspect the city’s cooling towers, requiring building owners to test for legionella at least every 30 days during the cooling tower operating period instead of the current 90-day requirement, expanding the health department’s sampling capacity to conduct proactive sampling of building cooling tower systems, and maintaining contracts to surge capacity when faced with novel issues during future clusters.
