A cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City has now led to the death of three people and sickened more than 60, The New York Times reported Aug. 6.
The outbreak was first detected July 15 and has been found in five ZIP codes and their bordering communities. By July 25, health officials had identified five cases of the disease, which has since grown to 67 as of Aug. 6.
Health officials are still searching for a source but told the Times that they suspect a cooling tower is the culprit. In New York City, many Legionnaires’ outbreaks are caused by water vapor from rooftop cooling towers. The bacteria can float on water vapor for thousands of feet before someone inhales the pathogen.
So far, inspectors have detected Legionella bacteria — which cause Legionnaires’ disease — in 11 cooling towers, but it is unclear which might be the source of the outbreak.
