#legionnaires-disease

#legionnaires-disease

New York City's health department lost more than a third of its cooling tower inspectors in the three years leading up to the current deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease - despite a 30% boost in funding for the unit that conducts the inspections. But the health department claims the steep drop in head count was not to blame for the recent outbreak, which has so far killed five people in Central Harlem, hospitalized another 14 people and sickened close to 100 residents in all.

Legionnaires' disease, caused by Legionella bacteria, thrives in warm water environments such as cooling towers, leading to outbreaks when not properly managed.

Since July 25, at least 67 people in five zip codes have inhaled that bacteria, and developed what's called Legionnaires' disease. Twenty-four were hospitalized and three have died.