Legionnaires’ disease on the rise amid record heat
Health officials are warning of a growing outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease as hotter temperatures strike cities across the country.

(NBC)- Health officials are warning of a growing outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease as hotter temperatures strike cities across the country. The severe form of pneumonia has killed at least six people in New York City since late July and sickened more than 112 others.
Nunzio Quinto, one of the affected patients, described his ordeal. “I started feeling a little lethargic. I couldn’t do basic things. I thought I had food poisoning,” he said. Quinto was hospitalized for several days and recalled, “I was out five days later, and with no energy and unable to do anything.”
City health officials say this is the largest outbreak New York City has seen since 2015. Dr. Michelle Morse of NYC Health explained, “This is the time of year when, unfortunately, the type of bacteria that we are worried about, Legionella, grows very quickly.”
The bacteria thrives in warm water and spreads through inhaled mist. The New York City Health Department has detected Legionella in 12 cooling towers, which convert warm water into cold air for large buildings.
Experts warn that cases of Legionnaires’ disease are rising nationwide. Hannah Greenwald Healey of Harvard said, “Within the past 20 years, cases have increased tenfold in the United States. It’s really concerning.”
The rise is attributed to a combination of older infrastructure and hotter weather, partly due to climate change. “A lot of buildings that maybe didn’t traditionally have air conditioning units might be implementing cooling towers, which create ideal conditions for Legionella growth,” Healey noted.
People over 50, smokers, and those who are immunocompromised are most vulnerable. Symptoms include cough, fever, headaches, and muscle aches. Health officials stress that early detection and treatment can save lives.