A 2015 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, traced to a cooling tower at a hotel, forced New York City to address a problem that had long been suspected but never adequately addressed: the role of buildings in spreading Legionella bacteria through the air.

About one in 10 people who get sick from Legionnaires' disease die from the disease due to complications from illness, CDC said.

Two construction workers who were infected with Legionnaires’ disease after a ‘completely preventable’ outbreak occurred in New York City are launching lawsuits against two companies for alleged negligence that led to the outbreak.