New York City has recorded 11 deaths in connection with the Legionnaires' disease outbreak centered on the Upper East Side, health officials announced Friday. The city's Health Commissioner, Dr. Alister Martin, stated that the cluster is no longer spreading, with the last confirmed diagnosis occurring more than six weeks ago. Of the 94 total cases identified in this outbreak, the final hospitalized patient has recovered and returned home.
"There is no evidence of ongoing transmission," Dr. Martin said in a statement. He added that disease investigators are continuing to work on matching water cooling tower samples with patient samples, with findings expected in September. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper Hewitt, the Guggenheim Museum, and several private schools were among the buildings identified with Legionella bacteria in their water cooling towers.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin acknowledged the devastating impact of the outbreak on families and the neighborhood. The City Council plans to hold a hearing next Wednesday to examine the causes of the outbreak and discuss necessary policy changes.
The death toll from this outbreak surpasses that of the Harlem cluster in the previous year, which resulted in seven fatalities. However, the Harlem outbreak saw more cases, with 114 individuals sickened and 90 hospitalizations. In that instance, water cooling towers above city-owned properties, including Harlem Hospital, were linked to the disease. Grieving families and survivors from the 2025 Harlem cluster have filed lawsuits against the city.