HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- An investigation is underway after 83 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease in Harlem has left three people dead since late July.

City health officials link the Central Harlem outbreak to cooling towers, structures containing water and a fan that are used to cool buildings.

Health officials say you can get the disease by breathing in water vapor that has Legionella bacteria, which grows in warm water.

The health department hasn't said which buildings have been affected, but 11 cooling towers -- where screening results were positive for Legionella bacteria -- have been remediated.

"I want to start by telling you that all of the towers that have tested positive have been treated with anti-bacterial treatments to end of the spread of the bacteria," said act

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