ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

New York City is managing a community cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases that officials believe is tied to bacteria found in cooling towers.

Pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria has been confirmed in 60 people in the area so far in July. The cooling towers of 76 buildings on the Upper East Side have tested positive for the bacteria, according to the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include fever, chills, fatigue, headaches, low appetite, confusion and diarrhoea. Treatment involves antibiotics and sometimes oxygen therapy or intensive care.

Only a small percentage of those who are exposed to Legionella bacteria actually become ill. Vulnerable groups can include the over-50s, people who vape or smoke and those with an underlying health condition or a weakened immune system.

Cooling towers are used for refrigeration and for general building cooling. They release heat by spraying warm water over a fill material while a fan pulls air through the water, creating a fine mist.

Bacteria can grow and multiply in this warm, damp environment and the contaminated mist may then be expelled into the atmosphere where the microscopic water droplets may be inhaled.

The New York City health department has identified 183 cooling towers as being a potential source of bacteria and has directed the owners of 76 buildings to drain, clean and disinfect their towers.

"There's a high concentration of cooling towers in the Upper East Side and our initial screening tests cast a wide net," said department commissioner Alistair Martin. "These results are indicative of just how common Legionella is in our built environment - and that's why we stay vigilant."