A second person has died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday. The outbreak has now infected 72 people in the area.
The first fatality was reported on Friday, with the second death confirmed the following day. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin extended his condolences, stating, “We are heartbroken to learn that another New Yorker has lost their life to Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. Our deepest condolences are with their loved ones as they grieve.”
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water. Health officials have been actively testing cooling towers, which are components of large buildings' air conditioning systems, as a potential source.
Property owners whose cooling towers have tested positive for the bacteria have been mandated to drain and disinfect them. While a specific source for the current outbreak has not yet been pinpointed, health officials noted a sustained decline in new cases, suggesting that the source of exposure to the Legionella bacteria has likely been eliminated.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is treatable, but approximately 10% of those infected will die due to complications from the illness.
This outbreak follows a similar incident last year in New York’s Harlem neighborhood, where seven people died and more than 100 were sickened by the disease.
