New cases slow in NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak

Key Points:

• A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has reached 60 cases, with new diagnoses slowing and no reported deaths; 49 patients were hospitalized, and 34 have been discharged.
• Health officials have inspected all 183 cooling towers in the affected area, finding about 75 with traces of Legionella bacteria, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is undergoing cleanup and follow-up testing.
• The source of the outbreak remains unidentified despite extensive inspections, with the city ordering rapid cleanups of cooling towers after initial positive tests, a move described as unprecedented by Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin.
• City Council Speaker Julie Menin criticized the Health Department for insufficient action and transparency, announcing plans for a Council hearing to demand accountability and advocating for immediate cleanups without waiting for test results.
• Legionnaires’ disease, caused by inhaling contaminated water droplets, is treatable but can be fatal in about 10% of cases; previous NYC outbreaks have been linked to cooling towers at public facilities.