You have probably heard about an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City. Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia (lung infection) caused by Legionella bacteria. The outbreak is mostly affecting people in an area of Harlem. The disease is suspected to have been caused by a building’s cooling system.
Vani George, DO
A key takeaway for New Yorkers is that Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious, cannot be spread by person-to-person contact, and can be treated with antibiotics, according to Vani George, DO, Assistant Professor, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
In this Q&A, Dr. George discusses Legionnaires’ and how to protect yourself.
Can I catch Legionnaires’ from another person?
No, you cannot. Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water and people get infected and sick by breathing aerosolized water droplets in the air that are contaminated with Legionella.
What are early symptoms I should watch for, and how serious can it get?
Some of the early symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are very similar to flu and can include fever, cough, headaches, shortness of breath, and muscle aches. As opposed to other types of pneumonia, Legionnaires’ disease can cause gastrointestinal disturbances, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as kidney injury.
How is Legionnaires’ disease treated?
Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. Complications from the disease are less common if treatment is started early on. It’s important to contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you have flu-like symptoms.
How did the recent outbreak in New York City happen?
Currently, there is a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in Harlem from the following zip codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039. The suspected source of the bacteria causing pneumonia in this community is a cooling tower in the affected area. Cooling towers are water systems on top of the buildings that control the temperature of cooling systems, such as central air conditioning or refrigeration. There is an ongoing investigation and all the cooling towers in this area are being tested by local health authorities. The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene has reported that the current outbreak is unrelated to any building’s plumbing system. It is safe for you to drink water, bathe, shower, cook, and use your air conditioner.
Is this contamination likely to happen at other locations in the city, and how?
The contamination can happen at other locations in the summer months because the bacteria thrive in warm water between 77-113o F and in stagnant water. New York City’s cooling tower regulations have specific requirements of maintenance to prevent such outbreaks in the community.
Beside cooling towers, how else is the disease spread?
In addition to cooling towers, other sources of legionella have been decorative fountains, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and whirlpool spas.
Am I at higher risk because of my age or any health issues I have?
Most healthy people exposed to Legionella generally don’t get sick. Individuals at higher risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease after exposure are:
- Adults 50 years or older
- Current or former smokers
- People with weakened immune systems
- People with a chronic disease
How can I avoid Legionnaires’ disease?
If you own any of the following devices, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding cleaning, disinfecting, and maintenance:
- Cooling towers
- Decorative fountains
- Hot tubs
- Centrally installed mister, atomizers, air washers or humidifiers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a useful toolkit in controlling Legionella in common sources of exposure.
For more information, read Cooling Towers: Learning from Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Investigations from NYC Health.