New York City health officials are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx after five people became ill and one died. The cases are concentrated in parts of Melrose and Morrisania, including ZIP codes 10451 and 10456. City officials announced the investigation Thursday and said the illnesses occurred among people who lived, worked or spent time in the area. The city has completed sampling cooling towers in the affected neighborhoods. Tests are now being processed at the city’s public health laboratory. Cooling towers have been linked to previous community clusters because they can release contaminated water mist into the air. If a tower tests positive for Legionella bacteria, building owners are directed to drain, clean and disinfect the system. “Disease investigators have confirmed five cases of Legionnaires’ disease and are working quickly to identify and confirm any additional cases in the area,” Health Commissioner Alister F. Martin said in a statement. “Sadly, one person has died, and our deepest condolences are with their loved ones.” Martin said community health workers will canvass the neighborhood. Anyone who has lived, worked or visited the affected area since late August and develops flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider promptly, he said. Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can grow in warm water systems such as cooling towers, large building plumbing networks, showerheads, faucets and hot tubs. People typically become infected by inhaling contaminated droplets or mist. The illness does not generally spread from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics, especially when diagnosed early. Symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches and coughing. City officials say residents can continue to use air conditioners, drink tap water and shower unless they receive different instructions. The South Bronx cluster is the second community outbreak identified in New York City in recent months. It follows a separate outbreak on the Upper East Side that officials recently declared over after causing multiple deaths. City officials have said that more than one community cluster has occurred in some previous seasons, including two clusters in each of 2015, 2017 and 2018 and three in 2016. The city’s health department has issued an alert to medical providers, asking them to consider Legionnaires’ disease when evaluating patients with compatible symptoms.