In New York, five people die from Legionnaires' disease and fourteen are hospitalized; air conditioning systems are the culprit

Five people have died in New York's Harlem district and 14 are hospitalized after contracting Legionnaires' disease, health officials announced Monday, August 18, pointing to air conditioning systems.

A total of 108 cases have been confirmed in the area, the New York City Department of Health said, adding that air conditioning cooling towers had tested positive for the bacteria.

Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection caused by the Legionella bacteria, with a fatality rate of 9%. It can be transmitted through water or through the respiratory tract, due to microdroplets suspended in the air. However, the disease is not contagious from person to person.

The New York City Department of Health has reminded building owners of their obligation to ensure proper maintenance of their air conditioning systems to prevent the bacteria from proliferating.

The disease takes its name from the first known cases, which occurred in 1976 in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hotel where the American Legion Veterans Association was holding a conference. Thirty-four people died.