The New York City Health Department is investigating a Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has hospitalized 53 people so far, and identified 76 water towers that have tested positive for the bacteria.
On June 27, the health department identified the first patient in the cluster, which has grown to 64 total cases. The cluster is located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhoods across three ZIP codes, according to a department news release.
As of July 15, 13 patients are currently hospitalized, 40 have been treated and discharged, and 11 have been treated but not hospitalized. There are no reported deaths.
The department found that the issue is not in any building’s plumbing system, so residents can continue to drink tap water, bathe, cook and use air conditioners.
The health department tested cooling water systems in the area and found 76 tested positive for the bacteria. Owners of towers with positive initial results must drain, clean and disinfect their cooling towers to reduce the risk of further exposure, the department said. The majority of towers have already completed cleaning.
This outbreak comes nearly a year after the health department investigated an outbreak in Harlem that sickened 92 people and killed seven, CNN reported.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria and spreads when a person inhales or consumes infected water.
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