New York: Death toll from legionnaires' disease outbreak on the Upper East Side rises to five

The New York City Department of Health reported on Tuesday that a fifth person has died in connection with the community outbreak of Legionnaires' disease on Manhattan's Upper East Side, while investigations continue to determine the source of exposure to the bacteria.

According to health authorities, as of July 21, 82 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been identified, of which eight patients remain hospitalized, 56 have been discharged, and five have died. They also noted that no new cases have been diagnosed in the last six days, nor have any new symptoms been reported in more than ten days.

As part of the investigation, culture tests confirmed the presence of live Legionella pneumophila bacteria — the cause of Legionnaires' disease — in 34 cooling towers located in 33 buildings on the Upper East Side. Nine other towers tested negative, while results for 140 additional systems are expected next week.

The Department of Health noted that all cooling towers with positive results have already undergone cleaning and disinfection procedures, as have those that had previously tested positive via PCR tests.

The official added that authorities believe the testing and remediation strategy implemented has eliminated the source of exposure, although the investigation is ongoing.

Health authorities indicated that the findings suggest that remediation and regulatory compliance efforts have been effective. However, they recommended that anyone who has been in the 10028, 10075, and 10128 ZIP codes and is experiencing flu-like symptoms seek a medical evaluation, as Legionnaires' disease can manifest up to 14 days after exposure.