The summer 2023 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York City has resulted in three fatalities and heightened concerns among residents in affected areas. The city's health department identified 11 buildings with active Legionella bacteria, but has withheld specific locations. Thousands of buildings in identified ZIP codes possess cooling towers that can harbor Legionella bacteria. Inspection numbers have decreased significantly in these areas since Mayor Adams' term commenced. The health department has not commented on whether increased testing could have mitigated the outbreak risk.
Legionella bacteria can form in the cooling towers atop buildings and spread through the air, potentially infecting people whether they live in a building or not.
The number of inspections citywide has dropped dramatically since Mayor Eric Adams took office, with a more significant decrease in the five affected ZIP codes.
Public health experts indicate that warm water pooling in cooling towers can become an incubator for Legionella bacteria, which can grow to dangerous levels within two weeks.
The outbreak in Harlem that started in late July has so far resulted in three fatalities due to Legionnaires' disease, raising concerns among residents.
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