Officials are still investigating a growing Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Manhattan.
Over a dozen hospitalizations have been reported so far, with the number of cases increasing. Here’s what to know.
The Latest on the Legionnaires’ Disease Cluster in the Upper East Side
The city’s health department said that it is still investigating a community cluster in Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, two areas in the Upper East Side.
The reported ZIP codes affected include: 10028, 10128, and 10075. If multiple people become infected within a neighborhood, a typical source would be a cooling tower, hot tub or spray fountain, NYC Health wrote on its website.
Mark Levine, the city’s comptroller, said that this current cluster of cases is from a contaminated cooling tower, and not a water system.
“All cooling towers in area are being sampled and tested in the NYC Public Health Lab,” he wrote on X Sunday night.
“It unfortunately takes several weeks for cultures to grow.”
Number of Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Grows
As of July 6, the health department reported 23 cases, up from an earlier 18.
The city also said that 14 hospitalizations have been reported, too.
No deaths have been announced from the current cluster.
How Does Legionnaires’ Disease Spread?
People are at risk of getting Legionnaires’ disease if they breathe in water vapor contaminated with the bacteria.
The health department emphasized that residents cannot get it through drinking water, cooking or from using AC units, and Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious.
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