City officials and lawmakers are warning New Yorkers to stay alert as investigations continue into a deadly cluster of Legionnaires’ disease that has infected dozens of people in Harlem.
“I know how we are as a people,” said City Council Member Yusef Salaam. “This is not the time to say, ‘let me just go to the grocery store and get some ginger ale, and let me lay up somewhere.’ This is the time for you to actually go to seek medical attention. That’s how serious this is.. Those who are over 50, especially with the underlying conditions, we need to make sure that they are vigilant.”
While acting health commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse expects the infection count to rise, she says any “new” cases, likely, stem from exposure before the city treated the 11 tainted cooling towers last week with antibacterial agents. Legionnaires disease, which is a type of pneumonia, can take up to 14 days to show symptoms. NYC Department of Health and Mental Health Hygiene’s (DOHMH) will continue monitoring the situation through cluster testing from the agency’s Public Health Lab.
On Aug. 8, Morse and Harlem officials including Salaam held a press conference on the impact of the spread. The Health Department reports since July 25 there have been three deaths, and 81 infections reported, with 24 people hospitalized. Morse refused to provide the exact buildings where the city found legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ disease.
The city traced the bacteria to 11 cooling towers across five zip codes in the Harlem area (10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039). Mist spreads the disease, which does not transmit person to person.
To be clear, Legionnaire’s disease is highly treatable. The earlier an infected individual receives a diagnosis and seeks treatment, the better the outcomes.
Morse says wearing a protective face mask is not proven to prevent and reduce the spread. She adds that Harlemites can safely drink and cook with their tap water, as well as use their air conditioning units.
“The most important information to know is that everyone who lives in these five zip codes, unfortunately, is at risk,” said Morse. “And so I don’t want anyone to be concerned that if they’re in one building or another, there may be more or less at risk, it’s all five zip codes. And in a public health response, it is very important that everyone understand what their risks are.”
Harlemites feeling ill should call or see a doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms are flu-like and include fever, chills and muscle aches. Older and immunocompromised New Yorkers are at highest risk, along with those who smoke or are diagnosed with a chronic lung disease.
Assemblymember Jordan Wright told the AmNews residents in the affected area are advised to run their showers for about five minutes at the hottest temperature possible before getting in. He also recommends them to check the NYC Health Department website and to keep a look out for more public awareness campaigns like an information session scheduled for Aug 12.
Previous outbreaks in 2019 and 2021 were limited to specific buildings or housing developments due to plumbing issues. The current outbreak’s scale is significantly larger due to the number of contaminated cooling towers and zip codes impacted.
According to Manhattan Community Board 10, the late Hazel Dukes penned a letter to the health department over legionnaires concerns more than three years ago. Vice chair Shatic Mitchell says greater public outreach is needed and requested a formal update on the situation.
“We also believe that there must be greater transparency around the location of cooling towers and other systems linked to these types of outbreaks,” said Mitchell. “People need the tools and knowledge to protect themselves and awareness is the first step towards prevention.”
State Senator Cordell Cleare questioned why Legionnaires’ disease continued breaking out in Black and Brown communities like Harlem. The lawmaker recently introduced a bill mandating building certification for cooling tower legionella testing.
“It’s very mysterious in the way that people are getting it, but not only that, it’s mysterious that it seems that these cases continue to occur in Black and Brown communities at this level. So we’re just trying to figure out what it is, this time, that has made this spread in these particular zip codes. The answers are slow and they’re not there.”
