HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- An investigation is underway after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Harlem has killed three people and sickened 73 others since late July.
New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam plans to hold a press conference to help inform residents about the Legionnaires' outbreak in the area.
Salaam will hold the press conference at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Harlem State Office Building on West 125th Street in front of the Adam Clayton Powell statue.
He's expected to be joined by New York State Assemblyman Jordan J. G. Wright and representatives from the Department of Health.
City health officials link the Central Harlem outbreak to cooling towers, structures containing water and a fan that are used to cool buildings.
Health officials say you can get the disease by breathing in water vapor that has Legionella bacteria, which grows in warm water.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke to residents about their concerns late Wednesday afternoon, and passed around leaflets with information about the disease.
"We are having all of the buildings in the area inspect their cooling system to make sure that if there's any trace of Legionnaires' disease, they have to rectify the problem within 24 hours," Adams said.
He said part of his visit is to dispel any misinformation people may be getting.
"When I received a call from several Harlemites who were basically raising questions, they thought you could get Legionnaires' disease based on a handshake, based on someone sneezing on you," he said. "We just really wanted to dispel all of the rumors by giving people information. Information is empowering. The Department of Health and their entire team have been out here, giving information, so people know what to do."
The health department hasn't said which buildings have been affected, but 11 cooling towers -- where screening results were positive for Legionella bacteria -- have been remediated.
Officials are continuing to investigate buildings in a number of ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039.
Eyewitness News spoke with acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse about the ongoing investigation.
"This is not about a specific building, this is about the fact that aerosols from the top of buildings are spreading in the region of these five ZIP codes and that's why my message to New Yorkers as the city's doctor is if you live in those five ZIP codes and you have flu-like symptoms, please seek medical care immediately because early diagnosis and treatment is life saving," Morse said.
Morse said inspections will continue, but she expects fewer cases going forward.
"Because the antibacterial treatments have happened in the 11 cooling towers that did test positive on the rapid test, our expectation is that the number of new cases is going to start to go down In the coming days," Morse said.
The outbreak in Harlem is not expected to spread to other communities, a spokesperson at the NYC Department of Health told ABC News.
People responsible for the safety of buildings and water systems can reduce the threat by taking steps to minimize the growth of the bacteria, the WHO said. For example, they should regularly clean and disinfect cooling towers, maintain an adequate level of chlorine in spa pools and flush unused taps in buildings weekly.
There are also steps people can take to reduce the risk of Legionnaires' disease at home. New York state health officials suggest draining garden hoses; following manufacturers' instructions for cleaning and replacing water filters; checking chlorine levels in pools and hot tubs regularly and flushing hot water heaters twice a year.
If you have Legionnaires' disease, you might feel flu-like symptoms. People over 50, smokers and those with compromised immune systems are more at risk.
"The most important thing, the take home message is that if you're in this area, where there is this particularly high number of cases, get checked out if you don't feel well," said Dr. Toni Eyssallenne, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "If you feel like you're having the flu, cold like symptoms, it's better to get checked out."
While the disease can be deadly, it can also be treated with antibiotics.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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