The death toll from the terrifying Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has climbed to six, even as city officials insist the source of the deadly bacteria has been eliminated.
A sixth New Yorker has died in connection with the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak spreading through Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe lung infection (pneumonia) caused by Legionella bacteria. People get sick by breathing in mist or water drops containing the bacteria, commonly from large building cooling towers, hot tubs, or showers. It does not spread between people.
Symptoms can include fever, chills, coughing, muscle aches, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, confusion, and diarrhea.
Adults over 50, smokers, and people with chronic heart, lung, kidney, or liver disease, diabetes, or weakened immune systems face an increased risk of severe illness.
The New York City Health Department confirmed Tuesday that 90 people have tested positive since officials first detected the cluster earlier this month.
Six patients remain hospitalized, 65 have been discharged, 13 were never hospitalized, and 6 have now died.
Officials said no new cases have been diagnosed since July 17, although the department warned that its figures remain preliminary and could change as additional cases are investigated.
The outbreak is centered in the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods, including ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075.
The grim announcement comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration continues to assure residents that the source of the outbreak has been eliminated.
“We are confident the source of the Legionella bacteria has been eliminated,” the New York City Health Department announced.
When the city launched its investigation on July 2, officials had identified only two cases and no deaths. By July 6, the outbreak had already surged to 23 cases and 17 hospitalizations. It has now infected at least 90 people and killed six.
According to the Health Department, inspectors tested 183 cooling towers at 160 buildings across the Upper East Side.
Of those:
- 77 cooling towers at 75 buildings initially tested positive through PCR screening.
- 59 cooling towers at 58 buildings were later confirmed to contain live Legionella bacteria.
- 106 cooling towers tested negative through confirmatory culture testing.
- Additional results remain pending.
All cooling towers confirmed to contain live bacteria have reportedly been cleaned and disinfected.
The department cautioned that a culture-positive cooling tower may not necessarily be the specific source responsible for infecting patients.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin has already announced an oversight hearing for September examining the Mamdani administration’s handling of the crisis.
City Council members and community leaders have demanded clearer public warnings, stronger enforcement of cooling-tower regulations, and greater transparency from the Health Department.
“New Yorkers deserve clear, timely information about the risks in their community,” Menin said in a City Council statement.
The Council plans to investigate the city’s communication procedures and enforcement of enhanced testing and reporting requirements adopted following previous Legionnaires’ outbreaks.
