The Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on the Upper East Side has claimed a third life, even as city health officials say new infections have slowed sharply.
The NYC Health Department confirmed the third death on Sunday, just a couple days after reporting the outbreak’s first death. As of Sunday, 74 people had been diagnosed in connection with the cluster, of whom three have died, eight remain hospitalized, 51 have been discharged, and 12 never required hospitalization, according to the department.
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Even as the toll rose, health officials struck a cautiously hopeful note. Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said the city was heartbroken by the loss and extended condolences to the family, but added that the data are encouraging. The city’s aggressive approach of testing, enforcement, and remediation, he said, appears to have stopped the source of exposure. The department also reported a sharp decline in new cases after July 8.The second person to die was a man in his 80s who had been living independently before falling ill, according to a lawyer representing the family, who spoke to Patch. The attorney said the man was rushed to the hospital in early July with a 104-degree fever and spent days on life support before dying Friday evening at Lenox Hill Hospital.
Investigators still have not pinpointed the specific cooling tower responsible for the outbreak. Over the course of the investigation, the city ordered 76 buildings to disinfect their cooling towers after they tested positive for Legionella, and Martin said every one of those buildings has now completed the required cleaning. Officials have repeatedly cautioned that a positive screening test doesn’t by itself confirm a building is the source, and the city is still working to determine the exact origin and to distinguish between live and dead bacteria.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin has been sharply critical of the administration’s handling of the outbreak, called the first death heartbreaking and said the victim’s loved ones were in her thoughts, urging the city to stay focused on residents’ health and safety.
Officials continue to stress that the outbreak is not linked to any building’s plumbing, so residents in the affected ZIP codes — 10028, 10128, and 10075, covering parts of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville — can keep drinking tap water, showering, cooking, and running their air conditioners. Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person to person.
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Anyone who lives, works, or has spent time in the area since late June and develops flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should contact a health care provider immediately. The risk is highest for people 50 and older, smokers and vapers, and those with chronic lung conditions, weakened immune systems, or other underlying illnesses. Help finding a provider, regardless of immigration or insurance status, is available by calling 311 or 844-692-4692.The deaths land against the backdrop of last summer’s Legionnaires’ outbreak in Central Harlem, which sickened 114 people and killed seven, and which prompted a new city law tightening cooling tower testing requirements.
The latest guidance from NYC Health can be found here.
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