Five deaths, 108 108 confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease in New York City
Health officials say Legionnair’s disease is likely spreading from the cooling towers of a Central Harlem building last month.
News 12
The outbreak of Legionnaire, the largest in New York City, has seen at least 108 people become ill, and at least five people have died over the years, and staff have fought to contain the outbreak. However, public health experts say that the condition that created part of the fertile ground for the disease has become widespread this summer, and that every American needs to understand the risk factors involved.
“This isn’t just a New York City issue,” said Hannah Greenwald Healy, professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health. “We see that as a problem in developed countries. We have seen an increase in Legionnaire disease over decades in the US, Canada and many European countries.”
The Legionnaire outbreak in New York City is linked to a cooling tower
As previously reported by Eduardo Cuevas of USA Today, Legionnaires is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a bacteria called Legionnaires. Freshwater naturally found in freshwater – found in warm or warm water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease spreads through a mist containing bacteria that people inhale.
In New York, authorities tracked the summer outbreak to cooling towers. This is an external structure that regulates the temperature of large buildings. These towers rely on water to “lift that heat up,” Healy explained. When that water is heated, it provides the ideal breeding ground for Legionnaires.
On August 20th, Attorney Ben Crump, a law firm at Weitz & Luxenberg, and Rev. Al Sharpton, announced a lawsuit against the construction company that was filed on behalf of a construction worker who contracted Legionnaires after working in Central Harlem. Local health officials trace the disease to 12 cooling towers that serve 10 buildings, including Harlem Hospital.
“The Harlem Hospital cooling tower is believed to have been filled with rainwater after a major storm in July,” the statement issued by the law firm said.
“This outbreak was not a natural disaster. It was a direct result of negligence. This tragedy happens when businesses cut corners and make profits for people’s lives. That’s why we are here. “Harem has already endured so many injustice. This community deserves safety, dignity and respect. Instead, it has become the epicenter of yet another health crisis.”
Jared Scotto, lawyer for Weitz & Luxenberg, told USA Today:
“We are very concerned about the role the city has played,” Scott adds, saying the company intends to pursue legal action against the city.
A representative for Sharpton did not respond to a request for comment on USA Today before the publication deadline.
Climate change increases the risk of disease in Legionnaires
As the planet gets hotter, we are experiencing not only temperatures but also humidity conditions. Climate change means more and more regions in the past never need cooling infrastructure. Consider the recent heatwave in places like the Pacific Northwest, where air conditioning shortages likely contributed to dozens of deaths in 2021, according to a survey conducted several years later.
And while some news reports about the outbreak in New York focus on older infrastructures that could help bacterial accommodation more, Healy explains that “green” buildings in particular have low flow plumbing systems that allow water to sit on the pipes for longer.
Health compromises also increase the risk of Legionaire’s illness
Many experts suspect that some residents in the area where Legionnaires were discovered in New York are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Central Harlem, the site of the recent outbreak, is a poor area, and residents may not have access to preventive care. As Cuevas previously reported, these communities tend to have a higher rate of chronic health conditions, including greater risk factors such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A resident of the New York City Public Housing Department in Brooklyn passed away in 2023, most recently in Legionnaire.
Still, with the larger US population aging, experts say this is just as good a time to pay attention to important precautions for overall health.
“We need to make sure we have the right vaccines for flu, pneumonia, RSV and more,” says Dr. Michael Phillips, a leading epidemiologist at the NYU Langone Health System in New York.
If you feel sick – you will be checked out immediately, especially if you have any respiratory conditions, Phillips added.
Finally, know that drinking water filters across the building that are trying to remove all or most of the chlorine from the water can be counterproductive, Healy tells USA Today.
Governments need to be trusted to manage public health emergency
Itzia Thompson, a senior housing analyst at the Association of Community Services in New York, says that as a public health crisis, it thrives in the complete storm of government budgets, eroding public trust, terror of lawsuits, thror of lawsuits.
“This is a national issue where the government doesn’t do a really great job of explaining what they’re doing with regard to water quality and what the reality is and getting closer,” Thompson told USA Today.
One of New York City’s biggest challenges is that different agencies communicate different messages to the public, Thompson noted. It will disrupt the residents and make them less likely to trust government officials.
Meanwhile, Thompson said taxpayers need to accept that money and minimum levels of staff are needed for infrastructure upgrades and testing and mitigation efforts. It is fair to ask questions and hold public institutions accountable, but we also recognize that there are experts in institutions that work hard to learn when they encounter each outbreak.
Phillips of Langone said. “I think (people) should recognize the fact that infectious diseases change as our climate changes. We live in a changing world.”
Contributed by Eduardo Quevas
