A second person has died in New York City’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, health officials confirmed Saturday. The outbreak has infected 72 people, with the first death reported Friday.
Outbreak details and health response
The New York City Health Department announced the second fatality in a statement, offering condolences to the victim’s family. Legionnaires’ disease, a severe pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, thrives in warm, stagnant water.
Authorities are testing cooling towers in large building air conditioning systems, ordering property owners to drain and disinfect contaminated units. While no source has been identified, officials note a decline in new cases, suggesting the exposure source may have been eliminated.
Risks and historical context
Legionnaires’ disease is treatable, but complications lead to death in about 10% of cases, according to the CDC. Last year, a Harlem outbreak sickened over 100 people and resulted in seven deaths.
Health officials continue monitoring the situation as investigations proceed.
