NEW YORK (AP) Health officials announced Monday night that a fifth individual has passed away as a result of a Legionnaires disease epidemic in New York City.
Since it started in late July, the Central Harlem-centered outbreak has made dozens of people ill. The city’s health department reported that 14 patients were still in the hospital as of Monday.
Twelve cooling towers in ten buildings, including a city-run hospital and a sexual health clinic, tested positive for Legionella bacteria. All of the towers have subsequently undergone cleanup, according to officials.
Legionella bacteria, which flourish in warm water and propagate through building water systems, are the cause of legionnaires disease, a kind of pneumonia. In this instance, cooling towers—which move air and water to control building temperatures—have been connected to the epidemic.
Cough, fever, headaches, muscle pains, and shortness of breath are among the symptoms that often appear two to fourteen days after exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those who live or work in the impacted area are advised by city health officials to get medical attention if they feel like they have the flu.
