NYC Orders 76 Buildings to Disinfect Towers After 63 Legionnaires' Cases
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 14
NYC Orders 76 Buildings to Disinfect Towers After 63 Legionnaires' Cases
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 14
Summary
New York City has confirmed 63 Legionnaires’ cases in Upper East Side ZIP codes 10128, 10028 and 10075, with 12 people hospitalized and no deaths reported.
Tests found Legionella in cooling towers at 76 buildings, prompting orders to drain, clean and disinfect them; 57 owners had completed remediation by Tuesday and 19 more face a Thursday deadline.
Health officials said the cluster is tied to contaminated tower vapor—not drinking water, showers or air conditioners—and stressed the disease is not contagious and responds to early antibiotics.
The city screened 183 towers and said the pace of new cases appears to be slowing, though more illnesses could emerge because the incubation period runs two to 14 days.
Last year, a Harlem cluster linked to cooling towers hospitalized 92 people and killed seven, helping drive a May law that tightened tower inspections and raised fines.