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Officials search for source of Upper East Side Legionnaires' outbreak linked to 28 cases
ABC7 New York • • health
Key Points:
- New York City health officials have confirmed 28 cases of Legionnaires' disease linked to an outbreak on the Upper East Side, with 21 people hospitalized across three ZIP codes including Carnegie Hill, Yorkville, and Lenox Hill.
- The source of the outbreak is believed to be contaminated mists from cooling towers, not building plumbing systems, and testing of these towers is expected to be completed soon.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the city will release the exact addresses of buildings with detected legionella bacteria to ensure transparency and public safety.
- Health officials emphasize that Legionnaires' disease is not spread person-to-person, most healthy individuals are not at risk, but vulnerable groups like the elderly and smokers face higher mortality risk.
- Residents are advised to seek medical attention if experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms, and officials expect the number of confirmed cases to rise as investigations continue.
