28 people sickened by Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Upper East Side

NEW YORK CITY - The New York City Health Department is launching a series of community town hall hearings to address mounting public panic over an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side.

By the numbers:

At least 28 people have been confirmed sick on Wednesday, as officials continue trying to pinpoint the source of the outbreak.

In response to the growing cluster, the Mamdani administration has ordered a sweep of local infrastructure. Health officials are actively testing building cooling towers in the immediate vicinity of the outbreak.

The active testing zone is extensive, stretching roughly 23 blocks from East 74th Street to East 97th Street.

Local perspective:

Officials say that the public will be immediately informed of any specific building whose cooling tower tests positive for the Legionella bacteria.

Any tower found to be contaminated will undergo an immediate mandatory containment protocol, including complete draining of the system and rigorous chemical disinfection to eradicate the bacteria before the tower can return to service.

How does Legionnaires’ disease spread?

What we know:

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water environments.

The bacteria are typically spread when commercial rooftop cooling towers, which have been working overtime during recent hot weather, produce a fine water mist or vapor that people breathe in.

It does not spread person-to-person like the flu or COVID-19, and you cannot get it from drinking local tap water. It is also perfectly safe to shower, take a bath, wash dishes and use your home air conditioning units.

High-risk groups

While anyone can contract the illness, certain individuals face a much higher risk of developing severe, life-threatening complications. 

Those high-risk groups include anyone 50 years of age or older, people who smoke or vape, those with chronic lung disease, and people who have a weakened immune system or take medications that suppress the immune system.

Warning signs

What you can do:

The NYC Health Commissioner is urging community members not to brush off early symptoms. Key symptoms to watch for include cough, shortness of breath and fever or feeling feverish.

Officials strongly advise against trying to self-diagnose. If you live in or near the affected zip codes and experience any respiratory symptoms, see a medical professional immediately. Caught early, Legionnaires' is highly responsive to standard antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can become incredibly dangerous.

Dig deeper:

The city remains on high alert, and local doctors have been instructed to actively screen patients for Legionnaires' symptoms. Because of this increased surveillance, officials anticipate that more cases will be identified in the coming days. Annually, New York City typically records between 200 and 700 cases of Legionnaires' disease.

To address mounting neighborhood concerns, the Health Department is hosting an in-person town hall meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola, located on Park Avenue, providing residents with a direct platform to get their questions answered by medical experts.