Legionella Cases More Than Double in UES Buildings

The city health department has identified 76 building cooling towers testing positive for Legionella bacteria across three Upper East Side ZIP codes—10028, 10128, and 10075. This expansion follows an ongoing investigation into a localized outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that has resulted in 63 confirmed cases and 52 hospitalizations, according to city health data.

Scope of the Legionella Investigation

City health officials confirmed the completion of initial testing across the affected neighborhood Tuesday evening. The identified sites include prominent institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and private schools including Spence and Dalton. The count of affected towers has more than doubled since the health department released its initial list of 31 sites on Friday.

Despite the high number of contaminated systems, Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner, stated that there is no additional risk to the public while inside these buildings. Legionella, which causes a severe form of pneumonia, typically spreads when water vapor containing the bacteria is aerosolized by cooling towers and inhaled by passersby. The city reports that the rate of new diagnoses has begun to slow following a peak on July 6.

Remediation and Compliance Standards

Building owners have been ordered to drain, clean, and disinfect cooling towers once Legionella is detected. According to the city health department, 57 owners had completed this process as of Tuesday. An additional 19 sites were under official orders to complete remediation by Thursday.

While the health department has successfully identified the contaminated towers, officials note that further testing remains necessary to pinpoint the specific source of the outbreak. The current remediation effort is part of a broader mandate to contain the bacteria before it can infect more individuals. No deaths associated with this specific outbreak have been reported to date.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Is it safe to enter buildings on the list? Yes. According to Dr. Alister Martin, there is no increased risk to individuals inside these buildings.
• How does Legionnaires’ disease spread? It is contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapor from cooling towers.
• What is the status of the outbreak? The number of new cases is tapering off as remediation efforts proceed across the affected ZIP codes.
• Are there any reported deaths? No, the city health department has reported no deaths related to this outbreak.