The NYC Health Department is currently investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville (ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075).
New York City health officials confirmed Sunday night that a third person has died from the Legionnaire’s Disease outbreak on the Upper East Side
“We have identified 74 cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with the cluster, 8 people remain hospitalized, 51 have been discharged from the hospital, and three people have sadly died,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. “Out of respect for their personal privacy, we will not be releasing any additional information about their passing.”
The first death was announced Friday, and the second was announced Saturday
Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are
WATCH HERE
“While we continue to investigate cases and closely monitor those in the hospital, we have not identified anyone with new symptoms for more than a week, and we are not seeing any concerning trends in emergency department surveillance data,” Martin said in a statement
Adding to hopes that the outbreak may have peaked, Martin reiterated, “We believe the remediation and enforcement efforts. We will continue inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive and will hold accountable any owner who fails to comply with our public health laws.”
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water. Health officials have focused on testing cooling towers that are part of air conditioning systems for large buildings. Property owners have been ordered to drain and disinfect towers where there has been a positive test result
Health officials have not pinpointed a
Local
New Jersey11 hours ago
Did you know this New Jersey region is known as ‘the cradle of American soccer’?
New Jersey8 hours ago
New Jersey task force arrests suspects in attempted murder, sex offender cases
Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but 10% of people will die due to complications from the illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Last year, seven people died and more than 100 were sickened during an outbreak in Harlem
“We advise anyone who has spent time in the three affected ZIP codes — 10028, 10075, 10128 — to seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms, as Legionnaires’ disease symptoms can appear up to 14 days after exposure,” the statement added. “We will continue to keep New Yorkers updated on the details of this investigation. The most up-to-date information is available on the Health Department’s website.”
