NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Kills 2 and Sickens 72 on Upper East Side
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 17
NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Kills 2 and Sickens 72 on Upper East Side
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 17
Summary
New York City reported a second death Saturday in the Upper East Side Legionnaires' outbreak, where confirmed cases rose to 72 from 67 a day earlier.
Nine people remained hospitalized and 50 had been discharged as officials said aggressive testing, enforcement and remediation appear to have stopped the source of exposure.
Investigators traced the outbreak to Legionella bacteria found in 76 cooling towers on the Upper East Side and one on the Upper West Side, prompting cleanup orders for affected buildings including the Guggenheim Museum.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe bacterial pneumonia spread through contaminated water droplets from cooling systems—not drinking water or person-to-person contact—and can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
Health officials urged anyone who lived, worked or visited the area since late June to seek care for fever, cough or shortness of breath, with older adults, smokers and immunocompromised people at highest risk.