Legionnaires' Disease Cases Surface in Queens Apartment Complex

New York City health officials are investigating two recent cases of Legionnaires' disease in Queens, a development that has prompted testing of water systems at the North Shore Towers Complex. The infections mark the third cluster of Legionnaires' disease to emerge in the city this year, following earlier outbreaks in the South Bronx and on the Upper East Side.

The NYC Health Department confirmed that the two patients were infected with Legionnaires', a severe form of pneumonia caused by the legionella bacteria. The bacteria are contracted by inhaling water vapor containing the germs. While officials are testing the complex's hot water system, they stated that the water remains safe to drink and that there is no current risk to the surrounding community.

Legionnaires' disease does not spread from person to person. Instead, it is contracted through contaminated water droplets. Symptoms typically begin with flu-like signs such as headache, muscle aches, and fever, progressing to cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. The disease can lead to severe pneumonia and sepsis, with about 10% of patients succumbing to the illness. Antibiotics are the primary treatment, most effective in the early stages.

The North Shore Towers Complex, located near Grand Central Parkway, houses 1,844 apartments and is home to a significant elderly population. Residents were notified of the cases in a letter distributed on Friday, which advised individuals over 50, smokers, and those with chronic respiratory conditions or weakened immune systems to take extra precautions, including avoiding showers.

Earlier this year, a cluster in the South Bronx sickened 23 people and resulted in two deaths. In July, an outbreak on the Upper East Side led to 94 infections, 92 hospitalizations, and seven deaths. Both of those outbreaks were linked to contaminated cooling towers, which have since been cleaned. Officials do not currently suspect cooling towers to be the source of the Queens infections.

Nationwide, cases of Legionnaires' disease have seen a significant increase over the past two decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a rise from approximately 1,100 cases in 2000 to nearly 10,000 at their peak in 2018, with 719 deaths recorded in that year. New York City has also experienced a surge, with cases rising from 216 in 2010 to a peak of 656 in 2018, though numbers have since stabilized. In 2022, the city reported 438 cases.