New York City health officials are investigating a growing cluster of Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side after the number of confirmed cases rose to 18.
The NYC Health Department said the cases are linked to the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods, including ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075. As of the latest city update, no deaths have been reported.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can grow in warm water systems. People can become sick after breathing in mist or water vapor containing the bacteria. Health officials say the illness is not spread from person to person.
NYC officials are testing cooling tower systems in the affected area because past community clusters have been linked to contaminated mist from cooling towers. If any tower tests positive for Legionella, building owners will be required to complete full remediation.
Residents and visitors who have been in the affected area since late June should watch for flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, chills, muscle aches, or difficulty breathing. Anyone with symptoms is urged to contact a health care provider immediately, especially people age 50 or older, smokers, and those with chronic lung disease or weakened immune systems.
The city emphasized that this is not a building plumbing issue. Residents in the affected ZIP codes can continue to drink tap water, cook, bathe, shower, and use home air conditioners safely.
According to the CDC, Legionnaires’ disease symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, though they can take longer in some cases. The disease can be treated with antibiotics, and early diagnosis improves the chance of recovery.
Health officials are continuing their investigation and advising medical providers to consider Legionnaires’ disease when treating patients from the affected neighborhoods who show pneumonia-like symptoms.
