Two city buildings, including Harlem Hospital, were the sources of the deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that has killed seven people, officials revealed Friday.
A strain of the pneumonia-like illness found in seven of the more than 100 patients was matched to Legionella bacteria from cooling towers atop the hospital and a construction site at 40 West 137th Street, where the city’s public health laboratory is located, officials said.
The Harlem cluster of Legionnaires’ disease is now at an end and an investigation into its cause has been closed, they said.
“After an extensive investigation, we were able to identify two cooling towers that had a genetic match with patient specimens,” said Michelle Morse, the city’s acting health commissioner, in a statement.
“We are working with building owners on next steps to protect the health and safety of Harlem residents and to prevent future clusters.”
The announcement seemingly confirms suspicions that city-owned buildings helped fuel the outbreak that sickened 114 people who live and work in Harlem.
Health officials previously revealed that four city-owned buildings had cooling towers harboring the insidious Legionella bacteria that causes the potentially deadly respiratory disease.
The revelation only fueled accusations by frightened and infuriated residents that city officials shirked life-saving inspections on cooling towers.
Some went further, with a pair of construction workers – with the support of the Rev. Al Sharpton – suing the city for allegedly letting Legionella fester and spread from cooling towers atop Harlem Hospital.
Officials said Friday that the affected cooling towers have been disinfected and remediated.
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