5th person dies in Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City - AP News

What the report says

Associated Press reported that New York City health officials announced Tuesday night that a fifth person has died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak centered on the Upper East Side. The city Health Department said the illness has affected more than six dozen people over the past month, with eight patients still hospitalized and 56 others discharged after hospital stays. Officials said no additional symptomatic patients had been identified in the previous 10 days.

According to AP, investigators have detected Legionella bacteria in 34 cooling towers across 33 buildings, and those towers are being cleaned. The city is also cleaning and disinfecting 82 cooling towers in 80 buildings overall. Officials have not yet identified the specific source of the contamination. Positive tests have been found in cooling equipment at some apartment buildings, private schools and museums in the neighborhood, including the Guggenheim Museum, which said it uses an outside company for monthly testing and treatment.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can grow in warm water systems and spread through inhaled water droplets from sources such as cooling towers, hot tubs and plumbing systems. The disease does not spread from person to person and is treatable, though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 10% of patients die.

The outbreak is raising scrutiny of New York City’s cooling tower oversight after a deadly Harlem outbreak last year. AP reported that the city expanded planned Legionella inspection staffing after that outbreak, but the Health Department said it has not yet filled all authorized positions.