Gov. Kathy Hochul brushed off concerns about the city’s handling of Legionnaires’ disease prevention efforts on Tuesday after a fifth New Yorker died in an outbreak gripping Harlem.

The insidious pneumonia-like illness has sickened at least 108 people – including 14 who were hospitalized – and killed five as it flooded five ZIP codes in Upper Manhattan, city health officials revealed Monday.

The death toll rose just as city officials announced Friday that 12 cooling towers in Central Harlem – including four atop city- or government-owned buildings – tested positive for live Legionella bacteria and have been fully drained, cleaned and disinfected.

“This is a challenge for the city. Of course responsibility and mitigation are solely within their purview,” Hochul said when The Post asked if the city had done enough to prevent the outbreak, considering cooling towers on four of its buildings had helped fuel the disease.

“We respect that, but we are monitoring this intensely and offering any kind of assistance. So we’re here in a supportive role, but I’m concerned. I’m concerned,” she said during an unrelated event in Rome, NY — while still defending New York City officials’ response to the outbreak.

“I know that the city’s all over this. If I didn’t think so, I’d let you know,” she said.

Hochul sidestepped The Post’s questions about whether the cooling towers that can breed Legionnaires’-causing bacteria need to be put under stricter inspection rules — and whether stricter penalties are needed for those who shirk the mandated testing.

“I’ll determine the right approach on that if there is a legislative solution,” she said, before implicitly washing her hands on prevention.

“But these happen in communities unexpectedly,” Hochul said. “I don’t know how you can prevent it, but monitoring water wells is certainly one path to do that.”

Building owners are required by law to test for the disease-causing bacteria Legionella every 90 days to avoid outbreaks.

Harlem residents expressed outrage last week at city officials for only revealing exactly where the disease hit despite reports of rising infections for weeks.

Until then, officials only revealed it had been detected in the ZIP codes 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039.

Health Commissioner Michelle Morse argued the city withheld the building addresses to help keep all New Yorkers vigilant, regardless of where they live.

Locals also claimed the city dropped the ball on mandatory life-saving inspections.

Only roughly 1,200 cooling towers were inspected for Legionnaires’ bacteria during the first six months of this year, compared to nearly 5,100 at the same point in 2017, data provided by the city Department of Health show.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said the fifth death tied to the outbreak Monday took place last month and the cause was recently ruled to be from Legionnaires’ disease as the city continues to investigate.

“Based on epidemiological evidence, remediation efforts have been effective as new cases continue to decrease,” she said in a statement. “The Health Department is continuing our investigation.”

While deadly if not treated in time, Legionnaires’ disease is easily curable with antibiotics if caught early, officials said.

The health department has urged those who live or work in the area and are experiencing flu-like symptoms to see a health care provider right away.

Symptoms of the disease, which cannot be spread from person to person, include cough, fever, chills, muscle aches and shortness of breath. Symptoms develop between two and 10 days after exposure.

Between 200 and 700 of 8.5 million New Yorkers are diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease each year, according to the health department.

Five people died at a Manhattan nursing home during the last major outbreak in the summer of 2022.

In summer 2015, cooling towers at the Opera House Hotel infected more than 100 and killed 12 in the South Bronx.