NEW YORK CITY — Health officials have identified 31 buildings on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with cooling towers that tested positive during preliminary screening for Legionella bacteria as the city investigates a growing outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that has sickened at least 60 people.
According to the New York City Department of Health, 15 patients have required hospitalization, while 34 have already been discharged and 11 were never hospitalized. Officials said no deaths have been linked to the current outbreak. The first known case was reported on June 27, prompting an investigation centered on the Yorkville and Carnegie Hill neighborhoods.
Cooling Towers Under Investigation
City officials stressed that the buildings identified are not confirmed sources of the outbreak. Preliminary testing detected genetic material from Legionella bacteria, but additional laboratory tests are underway to determine whether live bacteria capable of causing illness were present. Those results are expected within two weeks.
Rather than waiting for final confirmation, Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered all buildings with preliminary positive results to immediately clean and disinfect their cooling towers.
“Cooling towers are being treated out of an abundance of caution,” health officials said, emphasizing that the listed buildings have not been confirmed as the source of infections.
Officials said remediation has already been completed at many locations, while cleaning continues at others.
Recognizable Buildings Among Those Listed
Several well-known properties were included on the city’s list, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, a building housing a Whole Foods Market, Gracie Towers, and numerous apartment buildings, schools and fitness facilities.
Health officials emphasized that people should not avoid these buildings solely because they appear on the list.
Residents can safely use home and window air conditioners, visit cooling centers, shower, drink New York City tap water, and enter or work inside the affected buildings. Officials also reminded the public that Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person to person.
What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water systems such as cooling towers, plumbing systems, decorative fountains and hot tubs.
People become infected by breathing in tiny droplets of contaminated water vapor—not by drinking contaminated water.
Early symptoms include fever, headache and muscle aches before progressing to cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea and confusion. The illness is treated with antibiotics, and doctors say early diagnosis greatly improves recovery.
Adults over 50, smokers, people with chronic lung disease and those with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.
Officials Continue Monitoring the Outbreak
The current investigation follows another significant Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem last summer that sickened more than 100 people and claimed seven lives after contaminated cooling towers were identified as the source.
Health officials say the Upper East Side investigation remains active, and additional buildings could be added as more test results become available.
“The investigation remains active,” the Department of Health said, urging anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing to seek medical attention promptly.
What are your thoughts on the city’s response to the Legionnaires’ outbreak? Should more frequent inspections of cooling towers be required to help prevent future outbreaks? Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments below.
