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(New York, NY) — The death toll from the Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem now stands at six and over 100 people have gotten sick, with seven currently hospitalized. The outbreak has been linked to 12 cooling towers, with a number of them at city-owned buildings, including Harlem Hospital. Scientists are using DNA to determine which cooling tower or towers made people sick and the State Health Department says it will ‘undertake a thorough review’ of the city’s response. Meantime, Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, have filed a lawsuit against a construction company that did work in Harlem. The lawsuit blamed untreated rainwater in Harlem Hospital’s cooling towers for the outbreak.
The outbreak shouldn’t have happened, according to Sharpton and Crump.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which grow in warm water systems like hot tubs and cooling towers. People contract it by inhaling mist containing the bacteria, leading to flu-like symptoms, high fever, and a cough. While not contagious, the illness can be serious and sometimes fatal, requiring treatment with antibiotics and often hospitalization.
Sharpton told the New York Post, “We clearly should be monitoring this more closely. We have to be diligent about it. We cannot allow this Legionnaires’ outbreak to be normalized.” By state law and city health codes, building owners are required to test for the disease-causing bacteria Legionella every 90 days so outbreaks don’t happen.
One of the people sickened was 52-year-old chef Daniel Mckeithan. He ended up in the hospital and said, “Legionnaires’ hits you — and it hits you real fast.”
Listen here as city officials detail the outbreak…
