Two people have died and at least 58 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires disease in a group that exploded in the Harlem area of New York City last week, authorities said Monday.
The New York City Health Department had reported Thursday that a person had died and 22 people were sick in the cluster.
“People who live or work in the area with flu -like symptoms, such as cough, fever, chills, muscle aches or breathing difficulty should contact a medical care provider immediately,” said the department in a statement on Monday. “It is especially important for people with greater risk, including those over 50, cigarette smokers and people with chronic lung disease or committed immune systems, to obtain attention if they have symptoms.”
Legionary disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which grows in warm water, health officials said, and people can obtain legionaries’ disease by breathing water vapor that contains legionella bacteria.
A view shows the horizon of the center of Manhattan in New York City, USA, July 22, 2025.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters
“Anyone in these postal codes with symptoms similar to flu must communicate with a medical care provider as soon as possible,” said the Interim Health Commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morse. “Legionary disease can be treated effectively if it is diagnosed early, but New Yorkers with greater risk, such as adults over 50 and those who smoke or have chronic pulmonary conditions, must be especially aware of their symptoms and seek attention as soon as symptoms begin.”
Legionary disease can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for the growth of legionella, such as cooling towers, hydromassage spas, hydromassage baths, humidifiers, hot water tanks and evaporative capacitors of large air conditioning systems, health officials said.
People can obtain legionary disease breathing water vapor containing legionella bacteria, although officials reminded people that the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person and that can be treated with antibiotics.
Respiratory disease takes its name from an outbreak in the Convention of the American Legion of Pennsylvania held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in July 1976 and the bacteria that is believed to be responsible is in the ground and grows in the water, as air conditioning ducts, storage tanks and rivers.
There are no details about the two people who died have been released by officials until Tuesday.
