New York, NY – A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem has left 67 people sick and three dead since late July, prompting renewed demands for New York City to overhaul its prevention strategy and address the bacteria from water source to tap.
The Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease says the city’s current approach, guided by Local Law 77 since 2015, focuses too narrowly on inspecting and disinfecting building cooling towers after bacteria is already present, instead of preventing its entry into water systems in the first place.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with legionella bacteria. The group points to research linking heavy rainfall to outbreaks, noting that Harlem experienced some of the city’s most intense rainfall on July 14. The first cases appeared 11 days later, within the bacteria’s typical incubation period, suggesting the storm may have disrupted the water system and dispersed bacteria.
Family members of past victims are also calling for change.
Gwen Hanlon, whose husband died from Legionnaires’ in 2017, said she is “devastated” to see more families losing loved ones and urged New York to adopt a “source-to-tap” prevention law similar to one passed in New Jersey last year.
Advocates say such an approach would include proactive monitoring, treatment, and public alerts after water disruptions, aiming to reduce the city’s consistently high infection rates. The CDC estimates that one in ten people infected die from the disease, with higher mortality among vulnerable populations.
Key Points
- 67 people sickened and three dead in Central Harlem Legionnaires’ outbreak since late July
- Experts link outbreak timing to intense July 14 rainfall that may have disrupted water systems
- Advocates urge New York to adopt a “source-to-tap” prevention strategy used in New Jersey