A sixth person has died in connection with a cluster of Legionnaires' disease on New York City's Upper East Side, health officials announced Tuesday. The outbreak has identified at least 90 cases, according to the New York City Health Department. No new cases have been diagnosed since July 17.
Six individuals remain hospitalized, while 65 have been discharged since the cluster began. Health officials stated they are confident that the source of the Legionella bacteria has been eliminated. Dozens of cooling towers that tested positive for the bacteria have been cleaned and disinfected.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria, typically found in freshwater. The bacteria thrive in warm water and can infect people if the bacteria enter a building's water supply systems, such as showerheads, faucets, hot water tanks, and cooling towers. The disease does not generally spread from person to person.
While most individuals recover with antibiotics, complications can be fatal for immunocompromised patients or those with chronic lung diseases. Cases of Legionnaires' disease have seen an increase over the past decade, with a peak in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases decreased during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic before rebounding in 2021.