NYC to release addresses of Upper East Side buildings linked to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak
Credit: Clay LeConey on Unsplash
New York City is implementing emergency measures after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease on the Upper East Side sickened at least 28 people as of Tuesday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday directed the city’s Department of Health to begin testing cooling towers across the affected area and mobilize more than 100 staff members for community outreach. In an unprecedented move, the administration will publicly release the addresses of buildings whose cooling towers test positive for the bacteria and order property owners to immediately drain, clean, and disinfect the systems to prevent further exposure.
“When there’s a public health threat, New Yorkers deserve urgency and transparency from their government,” Mamdani said. “That’s why we’re using every tool available to protect people by moving quickly to identify potential sources of exposure, requiring immediate remediation and making sure New Yorkers have the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe.”
Legionnaires’ Disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm, stagnant water. Symptoms typically develop two to 14 days after exposure and may include fever, chills, muscle aches, and a cough. The disease can usually be treated effectively with antibiotics, especially when diagnosed early.
Each year, between 200 and 700 New Yorkers are diagnosed with the disease. An outbreak in central Harlem last summer infected more than 100 people and killed seven before the Department of Health concluded its investigation into the source of the outbreak, according to the New York Times.
The deadliest outbreak in city history occurred in 2015 in the South Bronx, sickening 120 people and killing 12. The outbreak persisted for more than a month as authorities struggled to identify its source, eventually linking it to a cooling tower atop the Opera House Hotel.
Rooftop cooling towers used in building air-conditioning and refrigeration systems can provide ideal conditions for the bacteria to grow.
During the summer, cooling towers can release water vapor containing Legionella bacteria that may travel thousands of feet before being inhaled, according to the Times. The Upper East Side has a high concentration of cooling towers, with roughly 160 registered across the three ZIP codes under investigation.
Two cases of the disease were identified on July 2 in Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, ZIP codes 10028 and 10128. While a community cluster is typically defined as three or more cases linked by location and time, the city began its response immediately rather than waiting for additional cases.
On July 5, ZIP code 10075 was added to the investigation after another confirmed case involving someone who lives or works in, or recently visited, the area. As of July 6, 23 people had been diagnosed with the disease, and 17 had been hospitalized, including two who have since been released and are recovering at home. No deaths have been reported.
By that day, the Health Department had collected samples from 139 cooling towers and said the remaining towers would be tested within the next 24 hours, if they were operating.
As of Tuesday, July 7, there have been 28 cases and 21 hospitalizations.
During previous outbreaks, the city required buildings with positive PCR results to increase chemical disinfectant levels while awaiting confirmation through culture testing, a process that can take up to two weeks. Full cleaning and disinfection were typically required only after a positive culture result.
This time, the city has adopted a more aggressive approach. Any building whose cooling tower tests positive during initial PCR screening will receive a Commissioner’s Order requiring full remediation, accelerating the response and reducing the risk of continued exposure.
Several property owners have already completed remediation, while others are actively carrying out the work.
Anyone who has been to the affected area since late June and develops symptoms consistent with Legionnaires’ disease should contact a healthcare provider immediately.
Residents in the affected ZIP codes can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook, and use their home air conditioners as usual.
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