Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak: Harlem is the epicenter of Legionnaires', killing 3 people as of now, and 70 of them being diagnosed with the same. The cause? A cluster that broke out in Harlem last week, as is confirmed by the health officials.

Also Read: Legionnaires' Outbreak Sickened 108 And Kills 5 In New York City: Can It Spread From Person To Person?

From an investigation update on Tuesday, the New York City Health Department confirmed the ZIP codes in Central Harlem where the community cluster of Legionnaires' could be linked to. The ZIP codes are 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039, and bordering communities.

While the health officials have confirmed that the Legionnaire's disease outbreak is not expected to spread to other communities, so far around 67 people have been diagnosed, the numbers have seen a slight increase. Health and Me had reported that by August 1, the fatality was at 1, with 22 sick with the same, however, by August 5, the number rose to 2 dead and 58 sick the disease.

As per the city health officials, people became ill after breathing in bacteria sprayed from cooling tower in central Harlem. Cooling towers help regulate building temperature. The city health department also said in a news release on Wednesday that it was testing cooling towers in the area and are continuously investigating the outbreak.

All That You Need To Know About The Legionnaire's Disease

What Is Legionnaire's Disease?

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionnaire's disease is a serious type of pneumonia that is caused by Legionella bacteria. This bacteria is known for causing two types of diseases, one of them being Legionnaire's disease, a severe form of pneumonia; while the other one is Pontiac fever, which is a mild illness that can include fever, muscle aches and headaches.

It is very rare that this bacteria can cause infection outside of the lungs and affect heart or wound infections, notes CDC.

How Is Legionnaire's Disease Spread?

Legionnaires' disease is caused by breathing in mist or water vapor that contains the Legionella bacteria. This bacteria thrives in warm water and can be found in various water systems, such as cooling towers, hot tubs, humidifiers, and large air-conditioning units. The disease cannot be spread from person to person.

To prevent the spread of Legionella, building owners and managers should follow a water management program. At home, you can take steps to prevent the growth of waterborne germs. For example, in vehicles, it's important to only use genuine windshield cleaner fluid instead of water, as Legionella can grow in the windshield wiper fluid tank.

Who Are More At Risk?

A 2014 review published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal showed that cases from 2002 to 2011 showed that the number of people getting Legionnaires' disease in New York City was on the rise, increasing by 230% during that time. The highest number of cases was in 2009, when the rate was 2.74 per 100,000 people, much higher than the national average of 1.15.

The study found a clear link between the disease and poverty. The areas with the highest poverty rates also had the most cases of Legionnaires' disease.

Additionally, people with certain jobs were more likely to get sick. For those who caught the disease in their community, there was a higher chance they worked in jobs like transportation, repair, protective services, cleaning, or construction.

Common Symptoms of Legionnaire's Disease

Legionnaires' disease symptoms usually develop 2 to 14 days after exposure to Legionella bacteria, but it can take longer.

The symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are similar to other types of pneumonia.

Symptoms include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Shortness of breath

Other symptoms, such as confusion, diarrhea, or nausea can also occur.

After this outbreak, which has been linked with a cluster, the deputy commissioner of division of infectious diseases at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr Celia Quinn, said that the risk is low for most people, however, there could be additional cases linked with this cluster, as are being identified through the ZIP codes.

Andhra Pradesh may soon follow Australia's steps and ban social media for teenagers under the age of 16 in the state.

Nara Lokesh, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Real Time Governance and Human Resources Development Minister for Andhra Pradesh, told Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland: "As a state, we are studying Australia’s under-16 law, and yes, I believe we need to create a strong legal enactment.

"Youngsters below a certain age should not be on such platforms, as they do not fully understand the content they are exposed to. Thus, a strong legal framework may be required."

Also Read: Chikungunya Spreads Across Tamil Nadu: All You Need To Know

TDP national spokesperson Deepak Reddy supported Lokesh's claim and stated: "Children below a certain age are not emotionally mature enough to comprehend the negative and harmful content that is freely available online. That is why the Andhra government is studying global best practices and examining Australia's under-16 social media law."

If implemented successfully, Andhra Pradesh would be the first Indian state to issue the ban and could pave the way for other states to consider such policies. State officials are yet to clarify when the rule will be implemented and if any fines will be attached to it.

Is Any Other State Considering a Ban?

The petition was to emphasize on the awareness of the stakeholders and parental windows in the device that could control the menace of pornographic material which is easily accessible to children. The court asked Centre to order internet provider service companies to provide a 'Parental Window' to prevent children from accessing such content.

The Madurai Bench of Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan told the authorities of child rights to accelerate this matter. The bench also noted that children could only be prevented from consuming such content only if there is a parental control app on the device.

Judges also noted that parents have a higher responsibility in this, as children are highly vulnerable to such content.

READ MORE: Australia Social Media Ban Explained: Why Government Plans to Restrict Accounts of Under-16s

What Did Australia Do?

To protect the mental health of children, Australia has successfully banned several social media apps including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.

YouTube Kids, Google Classroom and WhatsApp are not covered under this rule as they do not fit those criteria.

While anyone under 16 will be still able to watch most of the content without logging in, however, they cannot have an account on it. Critics are urging the government to widen the ban to include online gaming platforms such as Roblox and Discord, which are currently not covered.

The government says that it will also reduce the negative impact of social media's "design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing".

A government study which was commissioned in 2025 found that 96% of children aged 10 to 15 used social media, and that seven out of 10 of them were exposed to harmful content. These content were misogynistic and violent in its nature, furthermore, content promoted eating disorders and suicide.

Children and parents will not be punished for infringing the ban, instead, social media companies will face fines of up to A$49.5m, which is equivalent of US$32m for serious or repeated breaches.

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has issued a statewide alert across Tamil Nadu due to a sudden uptick in chikungunya cases in multiple cities.

Cases have been reported across Chennai, Villupuram, Tenkasi, Theni, Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Ariyalur. It remains unknown how many people have been affected and if any deaths have occurred.

Caused by the chikungunya virus, chikungunya virus disease (CHIKVD) is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) to humans. The illness usually starts with flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain and rashes.

Also Read: This Is Why Emmanuel Macron Wore Sunglasses At Davos

Typically, the illness has no clear no symptoms, especially in children and can easily be misdiagnosed as dengue and Zika. While there are no specific antiviral treatments for chikungunya virus infections, medications such as antipyretic and analgesic medications (such as paracetamol) for fever and pain can be used to ease the pain.

Most patients recover completely from the infection, but occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications have been previously been reported with CHIKV infections.

What Are Tamil Nadu Officials Doing To Contain Cases?

Authorities have also emphasized that all government and private hospitals as well as diagnostic laboratories, need to timely report cases to ensure the infection does not spread . Any delay in reporting, officials noted, could allow the virus to spread rapidly within communities.

On the local level, district entomologists and health inspectors have been told to eliminate stagnant water in artificial containers and conduct weekly mass-cleaning drives in high-risk areas.

The DPH has also ordered that all designated dengue and chikungunya wards in hospitals be kept mosquito-free, with adequate bed strength and sufficient mosquito nets for patients.

READ MORE: What Is Chikungunya And How Can It Be Prevented?

Can Chikungunya Spread Easily?

Cases typically emerge mostly in the Americas, Asia and Africa and occasionally in Europe. However, nearly 30,000 CHIKVD cases have been recorded, including 83 associated deaths from 12 countries namely from China, Singapore, Pakistan, France, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, marking it as one of the biggest outbreaks in the world.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. As he spoke on the European solidarity amid US President Donald Trumps' treat to annex Greenland, something else seemed to take the attention away. Macron was seen wearing a pair of blue-tinted mirrored aviator sunglasses. The surprising part was that he wore it indoors. French media had already reported that he was seen wearing sunglasses since last week.

Trump also mocked Emmanuel Macron’s sunglasses during his speech at Davos, joking, “what the hell happened?” regarding the French president’s appearance.

Also Read: Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: After Two West Bengal Cases, Tests On Bats Show No Active Infection

Why Was Emmanuel Macron Wearing Sunglasses Indoors?

On Monday, Macron said that reflective glasses were to disguise a minor eye injury that he had sustained after having been spotted with a heavily bloodshot right eye. "Apologies for the shades, but I have to wear them for a while". He further said that it is for a "mild eye condition".

Last week, when he appeared at a military event in southern France with red eye, while addressing the troop, he said, it was "totally benign" and "completely insignificant", he also added, "Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye". He also joked about it, calling it "l'oiel du tigre" or the "eye of the tiger". This was a reference to rock band Survivor's song used in the 1982 boxing moving Rocky III. He said, "For those who get the reference, it is a sign of determination".

What Happened To Macron's Eyes?

As per the French media reports, Macron appeared to have a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage. This means there is a broken blood vessel in his eyes. It is harmless, painless, and does not affect the vision. It also cannot cause permanent injury to the eye, and clears within a fortnight.

Macron Wears Sunglasses Indoor: Is It Absolutely Necessary?

Medical doctor and media commentator Jimmy Mohamed told French broadcaster RTL that Macron "opted for this style for aesthetic reasons, because he is a public figure. However, sunglasses are not necessary to protect vision in this condition. Some people wear it to avoid attracting attention.

"Some people might think he's ill, so to avoid being photographed in that state, he decided to wear sunglasses. The glasses protect his image, but not really his eye," said Jimmy Mohamed.

Read: Why Can't I Hear When I Take My Glasses Off?

How Have Netizen Reacted To Macron Wearing Sunglasses?

He has been called 'kéké', which is a French slang for a show off. Others also joked about him being a "cyborg" or emulating Hollywood actor Top Cruise in Top Gun, the 1986 movie that made wearing aviators a fashion statement.

What Is Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage?

Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage or SCH is a common ocular condition defined by extravasation of blood beneath the conjunctiva, producing a sharply demarcated red patch on the scleral surface. The condition is usually painless and does not impair vision. It usually resolves within 1 to 2 weeks, making it a frequent but benign cause of ocular redness.

It usually happens by a sudden pressure increase from coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or heavy lifting. This could rupture tiny eye blood vessels, or from eye trauma like rubbing or foreign bodies, and can be linked to risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, blood thinners, or even childbirth in newborns.