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Officials to release list of buildings linked to Legionnaires' outbreak on Upper East Side
ABC7 New York • • general
Key Points:
- City officials will release a list of building addresses on the Upper East Side where cooling towers have tested positive for Legionella bacteria amid an ongoing outbreak investigation.
- Since July 2, about 150 cooling towers have been tested, with roughly two dozen returning positive PCR results, leading to immediate cleaning and disinfection orders.
- As of Friday morning, 46 people have contracted Legionnaires' disease, with 22 hospitalized; health officials suspect a cooling tower mist as the likely source.
- One building at 1511 Third Avenue tested positive despite a prior negative private inspection, prompting city-ordered cleaning and raising questions about bacterial activity versus environmental contamination.
- Residents are calling for more transparency and information about affected buildings, as health officials continue extensive testing in neighborhoods including Carnegie Hill, Yorkville, and Lenox Hill.
