A fifth death has been confirmed in the ongoing Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem, New York City’s health department announced on Monday. Since late July, 108 cases of the potentially deadly pneumonia have been reported, with 14 people still hospitalized.
The source of the outbreak was traced to 12 contaminated cooling towers at 10 buildings in Central Harlem, including four city-run facilities. All affected towers have since been drained and disinfected.
Residents are advised to be aware that the disease is spread through warm, stagnant water and airborne mist, with no person-to-person transmission possible. Symptoms resemble the flu and can take up to two weeks to appear, particularly affecting those over 50 or smokers.
City officials are proposing stricter rules on cooling towers to enhance testing and reporting, as well as penalties for non-compliance, in an effort to contain future outbreaks.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/legionnaires-disease-nyc-5th-person-dead