A Legionnaires’ Disease cluster in New York City leaves one dead and at least 22 others sick since last Friday, according to the New York City Health Department.
An advisory was released Thursday, updating the public on a string of illnesses that had been going on since at least last Friday, July 25. The cluster occurred in the city’s Harlem neighborhood and nearby communities.
Samples from cooling towers in the area have been taken and the department has instructed building owners that were screened with positive results to immediately begin the process of cleaning, disinfecting and treating their cooling towers to eliminate Legionella bacteria, which causes the disease, officials said. These owners will need to re-test once this process is complete to ensure that there is no longer a Legionella risk.
Additional details, such as the name of the person who died, were not immediately available Friday morning. The investigation into the cause of the cluster is ongoing.
When discussing Legionnaires’ Disease, a cluster refers to two or more cases that occur in the same area and time frame, but without a clearly identified common source of exposure. An outbreak involves two or more cases linked by time, location and a confirmed common source of exposure.
Leesfield & Partners
Most people do not think about Legionnaires’ Disease when sitting in steam rooms, hot tubs, or packing for a poolside vacation. In fact, most people are entirely unfamiliar with the illness until, tragically, they or a loved one have been affected by it. In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has handled an array of Legionnaires’ Disease cases involving permanent injuries and, in some case, a tragic loss.
The severe form of pneumonia got its name from an outbreak that occurred at a 1976 American Legion convention in Philadelphia. Hundreds fell ill and at least 34 people died as a result of being exposed to the Legionella bacteria that was spread through the hotel’s air conditioning system.
A person can become infected when they inhale water droplets contaminated by the bacteria, which frows best in warm, slow-moving water. It can grow on showerheads, sink faucets, decorative fountains, hot tubs and other plumbing systems. Once infected, symptoms can mimic the flu. Fevers, chills, muscle aches and headaches are all initial symptoms. Issues that can arise later include shortness of breath, fatigue and vomiting.
On Average, Florida reports approximately 200 to 300 cases of the disease every year. In 2023, Florida reported approximately 250 cases of Legionnaires’ Disease, according to numbers from the Florida Department of Health.
In 2020, Florida accounted for nearly 60% of the country’s Legionnaires’ Disease cases. The bulk of annual cases were reported from August to October.
Per Florida regulations and public health standards, property owners and facility operators are required to implement proper water management practices — such as maintaining safe water temperatures, ensuring regular circulation, and using effective disinfection methods — to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria.
Much like property owners and management companies on land, cruise ships must implement similar, comprehensive water management plans to comply with CDC regulations and protect passenger health. Sadly, these steps are not always taken and several outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease have been reported aboard cruise ships this year. These outbreaks — which were linked back to at least two cruise ships belonging to different cruise lines — were connected to hot tubs on private balconies.
Leesfield & Partners is currently handling multiple Legionnaires’ Disease cases, led by Trial Attorney Eric Shane, whose extensive experience in this area has proven invaluable to clients affected by the illness.
“I think that people think about drowning or getting stuck in a filter system drain or being electrocuted,” Mr. Shane previously told reporters with the Daily Business Review. “If you polled 100 people, not one of them is going to tell you, ‘Yeah, Legionella. You’ve got to be on the lookout for that.’ We haven’t heard about this since Philadelphia. It’s not something that people think about when they’re going to enjoy themselves in a hot tub.”
Previous Cases
Mr. Shane recently settled a Legionnaires’ Disease case in which a woman contracted the disease after her stay at a Florida hotel where she regularly used a hot tub on the property. The same day as checkout, the woman began experiencing Legionnaires’ Disease symptoms. She had swelling all over her body and a fever. After doctors diagnosed her with the disease, she went into septic shock and suffered an acute kidney injury.
In an investigation, it was discovered that the hotel failed to maintain the hot tub in accordance with industry standards.
Our client continues to suffer from pain and fatigue. A $300,000 recovery amount was secured for the woman in that case.
Previously, the firm settled two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease resulting from the same resort. The plaintiffs in those cases were unrelated and were not staying at the resort at the same time. Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, along with other attorneys at the firm were able to prove that the resort did not properly maintain or sanitize water systems such as in the multiple decorative fountains featured on the property where Legionella bacteria was able to grow.
A six-figure settlement for each client was reached in those cases.
Another case in which two men were exposed to Legionella bacteria at their condominium’s spa is being handled by Mr. Shane. One of the men in that case tragically passed away. The defendant did not have an adequate water management plan prior to this incident to prevent the growth of the bacteria in the property’s water systems.
The case is ongoing.
If you or a loved one were exposed to Legionella bacteria and believe you may have a claim, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400.