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31 buildings linked to Legionnaires' disease on Upper East Side, NYC health officials say. See the list.
CBS News • • health
Key Points:
- New York City's Health Department identified Legionella bacteria in 31 Upper East Side buildings, with 19 already remediated and the rest expected to complete treatment by Saturday.
- At least 46 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been linked to cooling towers in the area, resulting in 22 hospitalizations.
- Affected buildings include the Guggenheim Museum, Whole Foods, Rockefeller University, and various residential and medical facilities; all have been ordered to clean and disinfect their cooling towers as a precaution.
- The bacteria spreads through inhalation of mist from cooling towers and is not transmitted person-to-person; water inside buildings remains safe for drinking and other uses.
- NYC has tested approximately 183 cooling towers in the affected area and is taking an aggressive approach to remediation to contain the outbreak linked to specific Manhattan zip codes.
