The number of Legionnaires\u2019 disease cases in an outbreak on the Upper East Side has risen to 14 \u2014 as local health officials are still racing to find the source.<\/p>\n
Fourteen people have been diagnosed with the potentially fatal pneumonia-like illness in the neighborhoods of Carnegie Hall and Yorkville as of Sunday, according to the New York City Health Department.<\/a><\/p>\n Fourteen people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires\u2019 disease in Yorkville and Carnegie Hill as of Sunday. Juan \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The figure is a sevenfold increase from Thursday, when the health department first announced two people had been diagnosed with Legionnaires\u2019 disease in the Manhattan nabes.<\/p>\n New Yorkers who have lived, worked, or visited the neighborhoods \u2014 encompassing the ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075 \u2014 since late June should contact a healthcare provider if they develop flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n If it is not treated in a timely manner, Legionnaires\u2019 disease can be fatal. The virus is not contagious, however, and can be treated with antibiotics, the department said.<\/p>\n \u201cLegionnaires\u2019 disease is deadly but can be effectively treated if diagnosed early,\u201d NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cNew Yorkers at higher risk, including anyone who is 50 and older, those who smoke, or people with chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin,\u201d Martin added.<\/p>\n Anyone who has lived, worked, or visited the ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075 should contact their healthcare provider if they begin experiencing flu-like symptoms. Aerometrex \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Health officials said the likely source of the outbreak is a cooling tower in the area contaminated with Legionella bacteria \u2014 but they don\u2019t yet know which tower is the source. Cooling towers, typically located at the tops of buildings, can spray mist containing the pneumonia-causing bacteria.<\/p>\n Authorities have launched a probe into the outbreak and will sample and test all cooling towers in the area to assess the possible source. <\/p>\n The health department urged residents that the overall risk to the public remains low. It is safe to bathe, shower, cook, and use your air conditioner, especially as the Big Apple recovers from an extreme heat wave over the weekend. <\/p>\n Health officials said the likely origin of the outbreak is a cooling tower in the cluster area that is contaminated with Legionella bacteria. Brigitte Stelzer<\/p>\n A Legionnaires outbreak\u00a0devastated Harlem last summer,<\/a>\u00a0sickening 114 people, resulting in 90 hospitalizations and seven deaths. <\/p>\n The Rev. Al Sharpton and lawyer Ben Crump\u00a0previously claimed<\/a>\u00a0that up to 20 people \u2014 or nearly three times the official count \u2014 may have died during that outbreak due to misdiagnoses.<\/p>\n