Upper East Side Legionnaires' Death Toll Rises to 9 After July Outbreak Ended
Updated
Updated · ourtownny.com · Aug 20
Upper East Side Legionnaires' Death Toll Rises to 9 After July Outbreak Ended
3 articles · Updated · ourtownny.com · Aug 20
Summary
Two more hospitalized patients died after last month’s Upper East Side Legionnaires’ outbreak, lifting the toll to nine as of Aug. 14; one person remained hospitalized.
No new cases have been reported since July 17, and New York City formally declared the outbreak over on July 30 after saying the source had been eliminated.
More than 90 people were infected during the cluster, which prompted testing at 160-plus buildings and 183 cooling towers; 59 towers came back positive.
The outbreak hit Carnegie Hill and Yorkville ZIP codes and has already spurred legal scrutiny and political pressure, including two City Council bills to require three annual tower tests and a public-awareness campaign.
Despite new regulations, dozens of cooling towers bred deadly bacteria. What hidden loopholes allowed this fatal outbreak to strike the Upper East Side?
With over 110 violations issued, everyday urban infrastructure turned deadly. Could your building's cooling system be secretly harboring this severe pneumonia?