New York City health officials say a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem has grown to 90 cases, including three deaths.
The update comes shortly after the city’s health department suggested new rules for testing cooling towers, which are believed to be linked to the outbreak.
Cooling towers are large devices on top of buildings that release mist into the air to help cool them. If the water inside gets too warm, sits still for too long, or isn’t cleaned properly, dangerous Legionella bacteria can grow. People can get sick if they breathe in the mist containing the bacteria.
A Department of Health spokesperson told CNN the new rules were already being planned before the current outbreak began.
By law, building owners must register and v their cooling towers. They are regularly inspected, but the new proposal would require testing at set times and have samples analyzed by state-certified labs. It would also include fines for breaking the rules, though the exact amounts haven’t been shared. At the moment, owners who ignore maintenance rules can be fined between $500 and $2,000.
One problem is that inspections have gone down in recent years. City records show that in 2024, the number of inspections was the lowest on record—less than half of what they were in 2017. Gothamist first reported the drop in inspections.
The current outbreak was announced on July 25. Health officials say they have tested all working cooling towers in the area, ordered cleaning for any that tested positive, and confirmed those cleanings were done.
Legionnaires’ disease has flu-like symptoms such as cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and trouble breathing. It can be treated with antibiotics, but if untreated, it can cause serious problems like shock and organ failure. The CDC says about 10% of people who get the disease die from it, with older adults and those with weak immune systems at higher risk.
