All articles tagged with #upper east side
One person has died from Legionnaires’ disease linked to the Upper East Side outbreak on Manhattan; the cluster has infected 67 people since detection earlier this month, with twelve still hospitalized as investigators search for the source.
Health officials confirmed the first death linked to the Upper East Side Legionnaires’ disease cluster as NYC’s confirmed cases rose to 67 (with 12 hospitalized); authorities say Legionella bacteria were found in 76 cooling towers across Upper East Side neighborhoods and one on the Upper West Side, underscoring ongoing risk while the infection remains treatable with antibiotics when caught early.
NYC health officials say cooling towers on the Upper East Side testing positive for Legionella have risen from 31 sites to 76, with 57 remediated and 19 more ordered to remediate. The outbreak has sickened about 60 people and sent 49 to the hospital across ZIP codes 10028, 10128 and 10075. Initial testing is complete and officials say there is no extra indoor risk, but further testing is needed to identify the specific towers responsible as remediation continues.
NYC health officials have ordered 76 buildings, including The Met and several high-profile private schools on the Upper East Side, to disinfect cooling towers after Legionella bacteria was detected, in response to a Legionnaires' outbreak that has sickened 63 people (most hospitalized). Fifty-seven buildings have already completed remediation; the Met and others paused activities temporarily. Officials stress there is no risk to visitors during cleanup, as remediation and testing continue across the affected area.
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).
New York City’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak has risen to 59 cases, with Legionella bacteria detected for the first time in a city park area and at The Ardsley on the Upper West Side. Health officials say dozens of residents have been hospitalized and the cluster centers on Carnegie Hill and Yorkville on the Upper East Side. City testing of roughly 183 cooling towers found bacteria in 31 buildings—including the Guggenheim—with all towers since disinfected. Authorities caution anyone with flu-like symptoms to seek care, while the mayor notes there is no cooling-tower at The Ardsley and urges continued vigilance as more cases are expected.
In the wake of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak centered on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the NYC Health Department ordered 31 cooling towers to be drained and disinfected after positive Legionella PCR results, while 12 more buildings faced remediation timelines; separately, a building on the Upper West Side—the Ardsley on Central Park West—independently detected Legionella in its hot water system and will address it, as investigators continue to determine which cooling tower triggered the outbreak.
New York City's Guggenheim Museum was among 31 Upper East Side buildings ordered to clean and disinfect cooling towers amid a legionnaires’ outbreak; the museum has completed remediation and remains open, with officials noting a positive test does not confirm a source or pose risk to occupants, as more than 50 people have been diagnosed and no deaths have been reported.
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has sickened 54 people on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, prompting widespread testing of building cooling towers in the area, including at the Guggenheim museum, whose cooling tower is among 31 towers citywide that have tested positive for Legionella as investigators search for a common source.
NYC health officials identified 31 Upper East Side buildings with Legionella bacteria in cooling towers, including the Guggenheim, and ordered deep cleaning for 12 more after 18 others had already remedied tainted towers. At least 46 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and 22 remain hospitalized; PCR tests cannot determine if the bacteria are alive. The investigation continues, and more buildings could be added to the list while city officials say it’s safe to use air conditioning and cooling centers during remediation.
New York City health officials said 31 Upper East Side cooling towers preliminarily tested positive for Legionella as a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak sickens 46 people. Nineteen towers have been cleaned, with 12 more ordered to finish remediation by Saturday; lab results on live bacteria will take additional time as culture testing proceeds. The outbreak centers in Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, and addresses including the Guggenheim, Asphalt Green, Whole Foods, and Trevor Day School are on the list, though officials stress there is no extra risk inside buildings. Exposure occurs via cooling-tower mist, not building plumbing, and more cases could be identified as investigations continue. No deaths have been reported; 22 are hospitalized, 19 discharged, and 5 not hospitalized."
New York City health officials say 31 Upper East Side buildings, including the Guggenheim, have cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella amid an ongoing outbreak. Some sites have already been cleaned; 183 towers have been tested. The outbreak has produced 46 Legionnaires’ disease cases with 22 hospitalizations across ZIP codes 10128, 10028, and 10075, with no deaths reported. Authorities will continue culture analyses and genome sequencing to identify live bacteria and match strains to patients, and more towers are to be remediated by the weekend. Residents and visitors in the area are advised to seek medical care if symptoms appear.
City officials will release the list of buildings with positive cooling-tower tests tied to a Legionnaires' outbreak on the Upper East Side as health investigators search for the source; about 150 towers have been tested, 46 people have contracted the illness with 22 hospitalized, and building at 1511 Third Avenue tested positive by PCR, triggering disinfection orders while the inquiry continues.
Gothamist mapped 203 active cooling towers in Carnegie Hill/Yorkville—the outbreak zone—and found the health department has identified 160 in the same area. About 55% of towers had Legionella test results filed in 2026, with roughly half not inspected for more than a year, mirroring citywide inspection gaps. Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to publish the locations of towers testing positive as results become available. Officials aim to inspect all nearly 5,000 towers citywide at least once annually, but staffing shortages hinder progress. The outbreak has sickened 36 people with 22 hospitalized; cooling towers can spread Legionella via mist, so residents with flu-like symptoms near affected towers should seek medical care.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledges to publicly release the addresses of buildings with Legionella-positive cooling towers as the city investigates a pneumonia outbreak on the Upper East Side that has infected 28 people (21 hospitalized) with no deaths; 139 of 160 cooling towers have been tested so far, and officials caution that initial PCR positives don’t prove live bacteria, with culture and genome sequencing needed to confirm links, while residents are urged to seek medical care if symptomatic.