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5th person dies in New York Legionnaires' disease outbreak
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- A fifth person has died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, with more than 68 people sickened over the past month, mainly in the Upper East Side.
- The NYC Health Department confirmed Legionella bacteria in 34 cooling towers across 33 buildings and is cleaning a total of 82 towers in 80 buildings, but the exact source of the outbreak remains unidentified.
- Despite new regulations and increased inspections following a deadly Harlem outbreak last year, Legionella bacteria were found in cooling systems of high-profile buildings including private schools and museums like the Guggenheim.
- Eight patients remain hospitalized while 56 have been discharged; health officials emphasize that Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but has a roughly 10% fatality rate.
- The city has increased staffing for Legionella inspections and conducted nearly 1,600 cooling tower inspections in the first half of the year, a 35% rise compared to the previous year, but challenges in preventing outbreaks persist.
