A fifth person has died in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak on New York City's Upper East Side, health officials confirmed on July 21. The city's health department has identified at least 82 cases of the serious pneumonia in the cluster.
Officials traced the source to cooling towers on buildings in the neighborhood. Testing found live Legionella bacteria in 34 cooling towers across 33 buildings. All contaminated systems have been cleaned and remediated.
Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin stated the response has been "rapid and aggressive," adding, "We believe that through our aggressive strategy of testing and remediation we have eliminated the source of exposure." No new cases have been diagnosed in six days.
Legionnaires' disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water systems like cooling towers and hot tubs. People become infected by inhaling contaminated water droplets, not through person-to-person contact.