NYC Legionnaires’ disease outbreak kills fourth victim, 76 cases reported

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An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease inNew York Citykilled a fourth person as 76 cases have now been reported in the city, city health authorities announced Monday.

The outbreak, which cityauthorities have linkedto a series of cooling towers in Upper East Side buildings, has hospitalized 60 people, 53 of whom were discharged while seven remained in the hospital,according to authorities.

The fourth death announced Monday follows afirst deathfrom the disease on Friday.City officials announced twoadditional deathsover the weekend.

Legionnaires disease comes from live Legionella bacteria infecting a person’s lungs.While, according to New York City health authorities, most people exposed to thebacteriadon’t get sick, infection can cause a severe form of pneumonia that can be fatal.

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Michigan reports uptick in Legionnaires’ disease (iStock)

“Symptoms typically develop two to fourteen days after exposure and includefever, chills, muscle aches, shortness of breath, and cough.Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early,” New York City’s Health Department wrote in a statement.

City officials discovered the recent outbreak on July 2, and quickly tied it to a series of cooling towers in 31 different buildings in the city.

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After testing 180 different cooling towers, the city found live or dead Legionella bacteria in 31 buildings.The city, in a statement, stressed that the discovery of dead bacteria in some buildings did not necessarily mean people in that building were ever exposed to the disease.

The city ordered the following buildings, which includes the building that houses the vaunted Guggenheim Museum at 1071 Fifth Ave., to initiate a deep clean and disinfectant of their cooling towers “out of an abundance of caution.

180 East End Ave.
1750 York Ave.
1660 Second Ave
1438 Third Ave.
1511 Third Ave.
1551 Third Ave.
1071 Fifth Ave.
1080 Fifth Ave.
1001 Fifth Ave.
240 E.82nd St.
8 E.83rd St.
145 E.84th St.
117 E.85th St.
125 E.87th St.
152 E.87th St.
120 E.87th St.
501 E.87th St.
168 E.88th St.
160 E.88th St.
1875 Second Ave.
1110 Fifth Ave.
153 E.78th St.
135 E.79th St.
300 E.79th St.
238 E.81ST St.
160 E.84th St.
114 E.85th St.
401 E.88th St.
333 E.91st St.
354 E.91st St.
312 E.95th St.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum exterior stands in New York.

FILE – The exterior of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum in New York City.(Kathy Willens/AP Photo, File)

City officials cautioned residents that mask wearing will likely not help stave off infection as Legionella bacteria is not transmissible person-to-person.Community cluster outbreaks like the Upper East Side one usually stem from common sources of exposure, such as “cooling towers, hot tubs, and spray fountains,” the city said.

Public testing of the bacterium are ongoing, the city also announced.

Crosswalk at a street intersection in Manhattan, New York City

New York City health officials are urging anyone who has visited Manhattan’s Upper East Side since late June to watch for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.(iStock)

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The city last experienced a major Legionnaires’ outbreak in August 2025, when over 100 people in Harlem got sick and seven died.