Living With Legionnaires': The Human Cost Of A Public Health Outbreak

HARLEM, NY — West Harlem resident Nichole Ingram, 53, and her son 35-year-old son Raymond are acclimating to a new normal after the deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in NYC hospitalized them in July.

The illness killed six New Yorkers and sickened more than 100 in the past month and is a type of pneumonia known for symptoms like fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion and diarrhea.

Patients that survive past the acute stage can have lingering symptoms like persistent fatigue, respiratory problems, neurological issues such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, or balance and coordination issues, according to Legionella Control.

In the case of the Ingram family, they had all of the above. All of this, according to their attorneys, was preventable.

That's why Ingram is pursuing legal action with her lawyer, Jory Lange, who is representing 45 clients and counting since the outbreak started on July 25.

Since the outbreak was first reported, 111 people have been infected and dozens more have been hospitalized, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

In Harlem, 12 buildings had cooling towers that tested positive for legionella bacteria in five ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039.

Four of the buildings were city-run facilities, including a CUNY building and a public hospital. All 12 buildings have since been remediated, officials said.

"The goal for the lawsuits is really twofold," Lange told Patch. "First, it's to help get people compensation for what they've gone through, and the second is to try to hold these building owners accountable. Because, you know, the one thing we know about these outbreaks is that they're completely preventable."

One of Lange's clients lost a family member in the outbreak, he told Patch.

According to city law, cooling towers — which are a perfect, humid breeding ground for bacteria — must be tested for legionella bacteria every three months. Legionnaires' disease is not spread from person-to-person, but by inhaling contaminated mist.

However, in the years leading up to the current outbreak, inspections dropped, according to publicly available city data.

When Patch asked the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about the reduced inspections, a spokesperson said the reduction of inspections was due to staffing shortages, and that the department is working to fill open positions.

"If the building owners would just properly treat the water in the cooling towers and maintain the cooling towers, no one would have gotten sick. No one would have landed in the hospital," Lange said.

When Ingram spoke with Patch, she said she was suffering from brain fog in the wake of the illness, which she first thought was Covid when she noticed she was having issues breathing. The brain fog was evident when Ingram took a long pause to recall the word 'Covid' during the interview.

But, facing neurological changes is more than just brain fog — Ingram is now walking with a cane, and her son is relearning how to walk, she said.

"Raymond is having to relearn how to walk with physical therapy at the hospital, and I’m walking with a cane," Ingram said. Ingram works as a postal worker, a job that often requires a great deal of walking.

"I didn't have to walk with a cane before, but now I need something to help me," she told Patch.

In Ingram's lawsuit, she will be seeking to recover her medical expenses and her lost wages, as well as damages for the horrible experience, Lange said. Lange said that he's waiting to officially file the lawsuits until the building owner responsible for the outbreak can be determined through specific bacterial testing.

"No one wants to feel like this. I don't think anyone understands it until they go through it," Ingram said. "People died unnecessarily. They have to do better."

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

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