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.

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.