Legionella Outbreak on Upper East Side Expands

More cooling towers on the Upper East Side have tested positive for Legionella, the bacteria linked to Legionnaires’ disease, as the city health department continues its investigation into a related outbreak of severe pneumonia.

Since the initial results came out late last week, the number of affected sites has more than doubled.

On Tuesday evening, health officials released a list of 45 additional buildings with cooling towers that have tested positive for the bacteria, adding to an earlier list of 31 locations shared on Friday.

Building owners whose towers showed positive results are required to drain, clean, and disinfect their systems to eliminate the bacteria. According to health officials, 57 owners have already completed the necessary remediation, while another 19 are expected to finish by Thursday.

Testing took place in three ZIP codes spanning from the East River to Central Park: 10028, 10128, and 10075. Officials mentioned that the initial round of testing is now finished, and they do not anticipate any more buildings yielding positive results.

The 76 buildings that have shown positive results include notable locations like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and various private schools such as Spence and Dalton, as well as a Courtyard Marriott hotel.

Despite these findings, Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner, assured the public that there is no increased risk for those inside these buildings.

A representative from the Guggenheim confirmed last week that they are adhering to city regulations regarding their cooling towers.

The city’s efforts to identify and remediate these cooling towers are part of a broader initiative to manage the Legionnaires’ outbreak, which has so far led to 63 illnesses, including 52 hospitalizations. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported yet.

However, officials emphasize that further testing will be necessary to pinpoint which buildings’ cooling towers are the source of the outbreak. Legionella bacteria thrive in stagnant water within cooling towers and can become airborne when the water evaporates, posing a risk to those nearby.

Fortunately, the rate of new reported cases in the affected area has slowed recently, especially after reaching a peak on July 6. Dr. Martin expressed optimism on Friday, suggesting that as the remediation of the positive towers continues, new cases should begin to decline.

Buildings That Have Completed Remediation:

• 1130 Fifth Ave.
• 1150 Madison Ave.
• 1239 Madison Ave.
• 1275 Madison Ave.
• 1020 Park Ave.
• 1157 Lexington Ave.
• 1755 York Ave.
• 60 East End Ave.
• 188 East 78th St.
• 200 East 78th St.
• 124 East 79th St.
• 201 East 79th St.
• 211 East 79th St.
• 511 East 80th St.
• 444 East 82nd St.
• 500 East 83rd St.
• 7 East 86th St.
• 401 East 86th St.
• 444 East 86th St.
• 445 East 86th St.
• 51 East 87th St.
• 9 East 90th St.
• 410 East 92nd St.
• 40 East 94th St.

Buildings Ordered to Complete Remediation by Thursday:

• 980 Fifth Ave.
• 1000 Fifth Ave.
• 920 Park Ave.
• 1249 Park Ave.
• 1025 Madison Ave.
• 1381 Lexington Ave.
• 1513 First Ave.
• 1520 York Ave.
• 80 East End Ave.
• 90 East End Ave.
• 100 East End Ave.
• 155 East 79th St.
• 40 East 80th St.
• 25 East 83rd St.
• 13 East 84th St.
• 40 East 84th St.
• 108 East 89th St.
• 22 East 91st St.
• 200 East 95th St.
• 235 East 95th St.

Unregistered Cooling Tower That Tested Positive and Completed Remediation:

This story has been updated with new information on the number of people affected and details on additional buildings whose cooling towers tested positive for Legionella.