Two more die in Manhattan Legionnaires disease outbreak

Three people have died in a Legionnaires disease cluster on Manhattan's Upper East Side, with roughly 70-plus cases tied to Legionella in building cooling towers. City officials say 76 towers tested positive, have been cleaned, and illness has fallen sharply since July 8. Health leaders are urging anyone who was in ZIP codes 10128, 10028 or 10075 and has pneumonia-like symptoms to seek care promptly.

Key Takeaways

• Three deaths have been linked to the Upper East Side Legionnaires disease outbreak, city health officials said.
• As of Sunday, CNN reported 74 cases and eight people still hospitalized; 51 earlier patients had been discharged.
• Owners of 76 buildings whose cooling towers tested positive for Legionella were ordered to drain, clean and disinfect them—and all confirmed remediation was done.
• The second fatal case identified publicly was an 88-year-old Air Force veteran and businessman from Yorkville who died July 17, his attorney told ABC7 New York.
• Officials say the cluster is not linked to drinking water, showers or air conditioners; Legionnaires disease is not contagious.

What happened in the Manhattan outbreak?

New York City's health department has confirmed three deaths connected to a cluster of Legionnaires disease on the Upper East Side. In a statement quoted by CNN, Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said officials were "heartbroken" another New Yorker had lost their life and offered condolences to grieving families.

ABC7 New York reported that a third person died in the outbreak and that the second victim was an 88-year-old businessman and Air Force veteran who lived with his wife of 50 years in Yorkville. His attorney, Ron Katter, said the man's wife found him July 2 near an open window with a 104-degree fever. He was intubated, on a respirator and receiving bedside dialysis and intravenous antibiotics before dying July 17 despite weeks of ICU care.

Case counts have shifted as testing continued. CNN said that as of Sunday, 74 cases had been reported and eight people remained hospitalized. ABC7 said that as of Saturday night, 72 people had been diagnosed and nine were hospitalized in connection with the cluster.

Why are cooling towers under scrutiny?

Officials believe the illnesses are linked to Legionella bacteria found in building cooling towers on the Upper East Side. Towers for 76 buildings tested positive, and owners were ordered to drain, clean and disinfect them. The city said all 76 confirmed they completed the required work. Illnesses declined sharply beginning after July 8, according to the health department.

Cooling towers release heat by circulating warm water and outdoor air; people can become ill if they inhale vapor containing the bacteria. Public health officials stressed this cluster is not connected to drinking water, showers or air conditioners. Last year, a Harlem cooling-tower cluster hospitalized 92 people and killed seven, prompting a May law that requires more frequent inspections and higher fines for noncompliant owners.

For more science and public-health coverage across our desks, see Future Tech & AI Wonders on BlasterPost.

Who is most at risk, and what should you watch for?

Legionnaires disease is treatable with antibiotics when caught early and is not passed person to person. Most people exposed to Legionella never get sick, but higher or repeated exposure raises risk—especially for adults over 50, people who smoke or vape, and those with weakened immune systems or conditions such as diabetes or heart, kidney, liver or lung disease.

Anyone who spent time recently in ZIP codes 10128, 10028 or 10075 should watch for fever, chills, fatigue, headaches, low appetite, confusion and diarrhea. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that about 10% of people with Legionnaires disease die from complications, ABC7 reported. There is no vaccine; masks do not appear to protect against infection, city health officials said.

Katter blamed a property owner for allegedly failing to maintain a cooling tower under city rules requiring inspection, cleaning and sanitizing. Investigators continue to contain the cluster after ordering remediation across the 76 positive buildings.