Met Museum, elite NYC prep schools among 76 buildings positive for bacteria behind Legionnaires' outbreak

Key Points:

• The New York City Health Department has identified 76 buildings on the Upper East Side, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and several expensive private schools, with cooling towers testing positive for Legionella bacteria amid a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that has sickened 63 people.
• The Met and 19 other properties have been ordered to remediate their cooling towers by Thursday, with 57 buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum, having already completed the required cleaning and disinfection.
• The outbreak has hospitalized 52 individuals, though no deaths have been reported; health officials stress the importance of rapid response and medical attention for those exhibiting flu-like symptoms, especially vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with chronic lung conditions.
• City Council Speaker Julie Menin criticized the health department for delaying proactive disinfection measures, announcing plans for a hearing to hold the city accountable and improve future outbreak prevention and response.
• Affected institutions like the Spence School are conducting additional testing and professional cleaning, while the Met has canceled some activities and shifted non-essential staff to remote work to support remediation efforts, assuring there is no current risk to visitors or staff.