Manhattan health officials investigate cooling-tower source of Legionnaires' disease cluster
The New York City health department reports 28 Legionnaires' disease cases, mostly hospitalized, linked to a suspected cooling-tower contamination in the Upper East Side.
New York City health officials are probing a Legionnaires' disease cluster in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, focusing on the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods. The investigation targets ZIP codes 10028, 10128 and 10075, where 28 cases and 21 hospitalizations have been recorded as of July 7, with no deaths reported.
City comptroller Mark Levine indicated that the outbreak appears tied to a contaminated cooling tower rather than a broader water system, noting that laboratory testing for Legionella can take about two weeks, which may delay pinpointing the exact source.
The health department advises residents and visitors in the affected areas to seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea or confusion. It emphasized that the disease spreads through inhalation of aerosolized water containing the bacteria and is not transmitted via drinking water, cooking, air-conditioning units or person-to-person contact.