UES Legionella Update: 76 Buildings Test Positive, 45 New Addresses Named

NYC health officials say 76 Upper East Side cooling towers tested positive for Legionella by PCR, up from 31 last week, with 45 new addresses released (including Spence, Dalton, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Of the 76 towers, 57 have been disinfected and 19 remain to be remediated by Thursday. PCR detects bacterial DNA in water, not live bacteria; confirmatory culture testing is ongoing to identify sources. The outbreak centers ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075, with 60 sick, 15 hospitalized, 34 recovering and 11 not hospitalized. Last week 31 towers were remediated (Guggenheim Museum, Asphalt Green).