Deadly NYC Legionnaires’ disease outbreak traced to 12 sites including cooling tower at Harlem Hospital

A cooling tower at Harlem Hospital was among 12 sites tied to the city’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that’s now killed four people and sickened nearly 100, Department of Health officials said Thursday.

The city’s Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and CUNY’s Marshak Science Building also all had cooling towers that needed to be scrubbed clean, officials said at a press conference.

Overall, 10 sites that potentially exposed people to Legionnaires’ disease were listed by officials after they initially refused to pinpoint where the towers were located.

Instead, the health department offered five zip codes in central Harlem — 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, 10039 – that were at the center of the cluster, as officials stressed the disease was airborne and could reach people even outside of the directly affected buildings.

“We did not want people to think, well, I don’t live there, I don’t have to worry,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse Thursday.

“That is the exact opposite response from what we wanted. What we wanted was for people in all five zip codes to be on high alert for developing any flu like symptoms and to immediately seek care.”

At least 99 cases have been confirmed, including 17 patients that have required hospitalization, since July 25. The four deaths is a jump from three that was reported by health officials last week.

Twelve cooling towers, including three on one building, have tested positive for the bacteria that fuels Legionnaires’ disease with 11 of them already cleaned. One tower needs to be taken care of by Friday.

The 10 buildings with affected cooling towers, as listed by the DOH, are:  

• BRP Companies, Lafayette Development LLC, 2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd Manhattan, NY 10037
• BVK, 215 W 125th St Manhattan, NY 10027
• Commonwealth Local Development, 301 West 124th St, Manhattan, NY 10035  
• CUNY – City College Marshak Science Building, 181 Convent Ave, Manhattan, NY 10031  
• Harlem Center Condo, 317 Lenox Ave, Manhattan, NY 10030  
• NYC Economic Development Corporation, 40 West 137th St, Manhattan, NY 10037  
• NYC Health Department Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, 2238 5th Ave, Manhattan, NY 10030  
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, 506 Lenox Ave, Manhattan, NY 10037   
• The New York Hotel Trades Council Harlem Health Center,133 Morningside Ave, Manhattan, NY 10027 
• Wharton Properties, 100 W 125th St Manhattan, NY 10027 (3 of 8 towers) 

Anyone in the affected area dealing with flu-like symptoms was encouraged to seek medical care as soon as possible.

“While the cluster has been contained, we’re still urging New Yorkers who live or work in the affected areas to seek medical attention,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

It can take between 12 to 14 days from exposure to the droplets to start feeling sick.

People can catch Legionnaires’ disease from bacterial droplets that come from water systems like cooling towers and are breathed in, though the disease isn’t spread person-to-person.