Inside the quarantined NYC leper island home to the infamous 'patient zero' Typhoid Mary

Just a stone's throw from the dazzling lights and allure of Manhattan, New York, lies North Brother Island, an area steeped in a grim and unsettling history. From the 1880s until 1943, the island served as a quarantine zone for patients infected with deadly diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis, and leprosy, including the notorious 'Typhoid Mary' Mallon.

These individuals were transported to the island, away from New York's healthy mainland population, where it was believed they could be safely isolated.

Mary, who was asymptomatic, was responsible for the deaths of over 100 people she had cooked for after infecting them with typhoid in the early 20th century. She passed away in 1938, confined in a bungalow adjacent to the Riverside Hospital on the island.

However, even before Mary's time, the island was already associated with tragedy. In 1904, the General Slocum steamship caught fire and sank into the East River, claiming the lives of more than 1,000 passengers.

Many of the victims were members of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, heading to an annual church picnic. Their bodies washed up on the shore for days following the disaster, reports the Mirror.

The 22-acre island also provided accommodation for World War II veterans before being deserted in 1963, following an unsuccessful period as a contentious rehabilitation centre for teenagers. The adolescents were left isolated and locked in rooms alone, forced to go cold turkey in an attempt to overcome their drug addictions, primarily heroin.

However, many felt they were detained there against their will.

North Brother Island, now a crumbling and deserted landscape, is home only to occasional wildlife such as birds, according to Business Insider. The island's buildings are shrouded in moss and overgrown shrubbery, contributing to its eerie ambiance.

Much of the equipment once used on the island, including baths, beds, and chairs, has been left to decay over time. Located near the Bronx, the island has become a recognised bird sanctuary and a protected habitat for herons.

However, due to its dilapidated and unsafe condition, it is illegal for humans to visit without permission from city authorities. Adjacent to North Brother Island is its smaller counterpart, South Brother Island, which has also been abandoned since 1909 when a brewery magnate's summer house burned down.

Both islands are less than a mile away from another infamous location: Rikers Island, the site of New York City's main jail complex.