DNA Testing Used to Track Legionnaires' Outbreak Source in Harlem

Investigating the Harlem Legionnaires' Outbreak

• ⚠️ A deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem sickened 111 people and claimed six lives.
• 🎯 The outbreak has been linked to 12 cooling towers, some located at city-owned buildings like Harlem Hospital.

Scientific Investigation Process

• 🔬 Scientists at the Department of Health Lab are using DNA testing to identify the specific cooling tower responsible.
• 💧 Water samples from cooling towers are tested for Legionella bacteria, a process that involves culturing and can take up to 10 days.
• 🧬 Bacteria cultures from patients are analyzed to isolate and identify the specific strain of Legionella.

Advanced DNA Sequencing and Analysis

• 💻 DNA is extracted from the bacteria and loaded into a genome sequencer, which runs for up to 40 hours to determine the genetic code.
• 📊 The resulting data is analyzed to find matches between bacteria from the cooling towers and patients.
• 🔍 The ultimate goal is to pinpoint the exact cooling tower that infected a particular patient.

Public Health Surveillance Efforts

• 🧑‍🔬 A team of two dozen scientists is working around the clock on this prioritized investigation.
• 🌍 This detective work is part of ongoing public health efforts that also include surveillance for foodborne outbreaks, ticks, and mosquitoes.