Death toll rises to three in NYC Legionnaire’s disease outbreak

A third person has died in connection with a Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side, according to New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin in a statement Sunday evening.

Legionnaires' disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria.

The city has reported 74 cases as of Sunday, with eight current hospitalizations. Health officials have traced the outbreak to cooling towers at 76 buildings that tested positive for the bacteria. The cluster of cases has been reported in ZIP codes: 10128, 10028, and 10075.

Those towers have since been drained, cleaned, and disinfected. Officials have stated there have been no new symptoms reported in more than a week and believe the threat of exposure has been eliminated.

This outbreak comes as health officials monitor another disease outbreak spreading across the country. More than 6,000 people have been affected by the Cyclospora outbreak, a parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, though no deaths have been reported.

New York City reports hundreds of Legionnaires' disease cases each year. Last year, a separate outbreak in Harlem killed seven people and hospitalized dozens more. The cases, which were also linked to cooling towers, prompted the city to require more frequent inspections of equipment.

The disease is not contagious and can be easily managed with antibiotics. Most people who are exposed to the bacteria do not become dangerously ill. However, older adults, smokers, and those with pre-existing conditions are at a higher risk of severe illness.