4th Victim Dies From Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak In Manhattan, Officials Say

HARLEM, NY — A fourth person has died from Legionnaires' disease in Harlem as of Friday morning, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported.

The city first detected the outbreak on July 25 in Central Harlem, Patch previously reported. Since then, 99 people have been sickened, according to city data. As of Friday, 17 people were hospitalized.

Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia, is caused by bacteria called Legionella that thrives in warm water environments, like cooling towers, which create cold air by cycling warm air through water, creating a warm, humid environment within the system.

In Harlem, 12 buildings had cooling towers that tested positive for legionella bacteria in five ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039. All but one of them has been remediated and cleared of bacteria, and the final building will be cleared of bacteria by Friday, Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference Thursday.

Friday's death comes a day after city officials released a list of contaminated buildings that led to the deadly, ongoing outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Several of them are city-run properties, including a public hospital and a CUNY building.

The addresses of the impacted buildings are copied below.

• 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)

Officials emphasized that the outbreak is not linked to any building’s plumbing system. Residents in the affected ZIP codes can safely drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook, and use air conditioning as usual.

City officials urge anyone who has been in the area since late July and is experiencing symptoms like fever, cough, muscle aches or difficulty breathing to seek medical care right away.

To see the latest data on Legionnaires' disease, click here.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.