NEW YORK (AP) — New York City health officials said Friday that bacteria from two city-run buildings, including a hospital, matched samples from some patients in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem that has killed seven people and sickened dozens of others.
The bacteria was found in cooling towers atop Harlem Hospital and a construction site where the city’s public health lab is located, officials said. Since the source has now been determined, the investigation into the bacterial cluster is now closed, authorities said, and the cooling towers have been cleaned and disinfected.
The city also is considering a series of changes to try to prevent future outbreaks.
The Health Department received seven clinical specimens in this cluster, which matched the Legionella strain in the towers. The agency said it typically gets culture specimens for 6-9% of all reported cases of Legionnaires.
The announcement came a day after officials said they had determined that the death of a person with the disease, who died before mid-August, was associated with cluster.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by Legionella bacteria, which grow in warm water and spread through building water systems.
People usually develop symptoms — a cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches and shortness of breath — between two days and two weeks after exposure to the bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
City health officials have said people who live or work in the area should contact a health care provider if they develop flu-like symptoms.
