UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — A fifth person has died in connection with the Legionnaires’ outbreak on the Upper East Side, health officials reported on Tuesday evening.
Officials also confirmed that five Legionella bacteria have been discovered in 34 cooling towers at 33 buildings through culture tests.
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The cooling towers that have tested positive have been fully cleaned and completed remediation.
“We have responded rapidly and aggressively to this Legionnaires’ cluster on the Upper East Side. With two confirmed cases, we launched our investigation and directed every building with an initial positive test result to immediately clean and disinfect its cooling tower. These actions have saved lives,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin.
As of Tuesday, eighty-two cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been identified in connection with the outbreak, and eight individuals remain hospitalized.
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Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
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