The outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has infected 72 people, according to health officials. Two people have died. The first death was announced Friday, and the second was announced Saturday.
“We are heartbroken to learn that another New Yorker has lost their life to Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. Our deepest condolences are with their loved ones as they grieve,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr Alister F Martin said in a statement.
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water. Health officials have focused on testing cooling towers that are part of air conditioning systems for large buildings.
Property owners have been ordered to drain and disinfect towers that tested positive for the bacteria.
Health officials have not identified the source of the current outbreak but said there has been a sustained decline in new cases. They added that this indicates the source of exposure to Legionella bacteria has likely been eliminated.
Legionnaires’ disease is treatable, but around 10% of people affected die from complications related to the illness, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year, seven people died and more than 100 people fell ill during an outbreak in New York’s Harlem neighbourhood.
