New York City health officials announced Saturday that a second person has died as a result of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The outbreak has now sickened a total of 72 people, with the first fatality disclosed on Friday and the second confirmed just one day later.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin expressed sorrow over the loss in an official statement. “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,” he said.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia triggered by bacteria that grows in warm, standing water. Investigators have concentrated their efforts on testing cooling towers associated with large building air conditioning systems. Property owners whose towers tested positive have been directed to drain and disinfect them.
While authorities have not yet identified a definitive source for this particular outbreak, they noted that the number of new cases has been steadily falling — a sign that people are likely no longer being exposed to the Legionella bacteria.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease can be treated, but roughly 10% of those who contract it will die from complications.
This is not the first time New York City has faced such an outbreak. Last year, a similar situation in the city’s Harlem neighborhood left seven people dead and more than 100 others ill.
