A seventh person has died of Legionnaires’ disease following an outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, city health officials said Thursday.
“We are saddened to share that a seventh person has died from Legionnaires’ on the Upper East Side,” NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said in a statement on X. “Our hearts are with their loved ones.”
There are currently 92 known cases of Legionnaires, a severe form of pneumonia that the city first became aware of when two cases were identified in the neighborhood on July 2.
There are currently five people hospitalized with the disease and 67 former patients who received medical care and were released, Martin said.
Health officials believe the source of the disease has been eliminated, as there have been no new cases in the last two weeks.
Shortly following the outbreak of the disease, City Council Speaker Julie Menin lashed out at Martin and Mayor Mamdani for not taking more proactive steps in stopping its spread.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that a person has died in connection to the Legionnaires’ disease cluster on the Upper East Side,” Menin said in a statement on X. “This news is heartbreaking, and the individual’s loved ones are in my thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.”
A screening of 160 buildings on the Upper East Side found Legionella bacteria, the microbe responsible for spreading the disease, in at least 77 cooling towers at locations which included the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
All buildings that tested positive for the bacteria were ordered to undergo remediation, which includes cleaning and disinfecting the affected towers.
Most people exposed to the bacteria don’t become sick. The disease is spread from the inhalation of water vapor and is not spread from person to person, officials said.
Symptoms typically develop between two and 14 days after exposure and include fever, chills, muscle aches, shortness of breath and coughing. According to DOH, “It remains safe to shower, drink tap water and use air conditioners in the affected zip codes.”
The disease is fatal in about 10% of cases and is most dangerous for those above age 50 or with compromised immune systems or chronic lung diseases.