A fifth person has died in New York City in connection with the legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side, according to the city's health department. In an update issued on Tuesday, the department reported 82 confirmed cases of legionnaires' disease, with five fatalities. Eight people remain hospitalized, while 56 have been discharged.
No new cases in six days
Officials stated that no new cases have been diagnosed in six days, and no one has reported new symptoms in over 10 days. However, they cautioned that "these figures may change as new cases are investigated and confirmed."
Cooling towers identified as source
The outbreak has been traced to cooling towers in buildings on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The health department said on Tuesday that confirmatory culture tests came back positive for live legionella bacteria in 34 cooling towers across 33 buildings in the area. Nine cooling towers have negative culture test results, while results for the remaining 140 cooling tower systems are expected over the coming week.
The health department noted that all 34 cooling towers that tested positive have already undergone remediation and are fully cleaned, as are all buildings that previously tested positive.
Health commissioner expresses condolences
"We are saddened to share that a fifth individual has passed away due to the legionnaires' disease cluster on the Upper East Side," said Dr. Alister Martin, New York City's health commissioner, on Tuesday. "Our hearts are with their family, friends, and all those grieving this loss."
In a separate statement, Martin said the city "responded rapidly and aggressively to this Legionnaires' cluster" and after the first two confirmed cases, "launched our investigation and directed every building with an initial positive test result to immediately clean and disinfect its cooling tower."
Source of exposure believed eliminated
"We believe that through our aggressive strategy of testing and remediation we have eliminated the source of exposure," Martin said. "We will learn more as our investigation unfolds and look forward to updating our existing policies and procedures to prevent future clusters. Right now, we are focused on identifying the source of exposure through laboratory analyses and holding accountable anyone found out of compliance with local laws."
Legionnaires' disease facts
Legionnaires' disease is a "serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria," according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People can contract the disease "by breathing in mist containing Legionella bacteria," and it is generally not spread person to person. While treatable with antibiotics, the CDC notes that "about one out of every 10 people who gets sick with legionnaires' disease will die due to complications from their illness."
Council speaker calls for action
Julie Menin, the New York City council speaker whose district includes parts of the Upper East Side, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the city is "in the middle of a serious public health emergency." She noted that "a fifth person has just tragically passed away of legionnaires' disease and the fourth person who just passed away was only 32 years old and had dedicated their life to the medical profession." Menin added that "this moment requires serious action" and announced that the city council "will be holding an emergency oversight hearing."
Mayor reassures public
Mayor Zohran Mamdani briefly addressed the outbreak on Monday during remarks at a small business event. He said he was "heartbroken by the loss of our fellow New Yorkers and send my deepest condolences to their loved ones." Mamdani reassured concerned New Yorkers that "they can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use air conditioners at home. In the days to come and in the weeks and months as well."
He stated that the city believes "we have now eliminated the source of exposure" but said "we are continuing to inspect cooling towers and will aggressively enforce our public health laws."
