Overview
- Health officials say a community cluster on the Upper East Side has produced 28 confirmed Legionnaires’ cases with 21 hospitalizations and no reported deaths as of Wednesday.
- Investigators believe contaminated mist from one or more rooftop cooling towers is the likely exposure source and have collected samples from about 139 towers so far.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed the Health Department to publish addresses of buildings whose towers test positive on initial PCR screening and to require immediate drain, clean and disinfect orders.
- Public guidance stresses Legionnaires’ spreads by inhaling contaminated aerosol from sources like cooling towers, is not spread person-to-person, and that tap water, showers and home air conditioners remain safe to use.
- The response builds on new city rules requiring monthly tower testing and reflects lessons from past outbreaks as lab culture confirmation of positive screens continues and officials warn case counts may rise.