AI Generated Image
The terrifying way Legionnaires' disease is spreading on NYC's Upper East Side
New York Post • • general
Key Points:
- Officials revealed that the Legionnaire’s disease outbreak on the Upper East Side was caused by water mist from a cooling tower, not by a building’s drinking water system.
- At least 23 people have been sickened across zip codes 10028, 10128, and 10075, where 179 cooling towers have been installed and are currently being inspected.
- The outbreak was detected early due to an increased number of cooling tower inspectors, rising from 33 last year to 56 this year following a deadly outbreak in Central Harlem.
- New legislation effective May now requires building owners to test cooling towers monthly during warmer months and submit samples to the Department of Health database within five days, with fines for non-compliance.
- Council Speaker Julie Menin expressed concerns about the Department of Health’s implementation of the new law, seeking details on testing compliance, oversight, and any fines issued.
