NYC Probes South Bronx Legionnaires' Cluster After 1 Death and 5 Diagnoses
Updated
Updated · NBC New York · Sep 11
NYC Probes South Bronx Legionnaires' Cluster After 1 Death and 5 Diagnoses
3 articles · Updated · NBC New York · Sep 11
Summary
One person has died and five Legionnaires' cases have been confirmed in South Bronx neighborhoods covered by ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, including Melrose and Morrisania.
Health officials said they have sampled all cooling towers in the area, with Public Health Laboratory testing underway and any tower that tests positive set for immediate cleaning and disinfection.
The city also sent an alert to local providers and urged anyone who lived, worked or visited the area since late August to seek care for fever, cough or breathing trouble.
Legionnaires' disease is not contagious and is treatable with antibiotics if caught early; higher-risk groups include people 50 and older, smokers, and those with chronic illness or weakened immunity.
The South Bronx investigation is New York City's second Legionnaires' cluster of 2026, after a July Upper East Side outbreak.