First death reported in Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City
[July 18, 2026]
By JENNIFER PELTZ
NEW YORK (AP) — A Legionnaires' disease outbreak that has sickened
dozens of people in New York City has claimed its first life, health
officials said Friday.
Officials didn't release additional information about the person's
identity, age or details on when and how they fell ill.
Investigators are still trying to pinpoint the source of the outbreak on
Manhattan’s Upper East Side that has infected at least 67 people and
hospitalized dozens, according to city Health Department data. Much of
the scrutiny has focused on the air conditioning systems atop many large
buildings, which can release water vapor carrying the bacteria.
Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, is treatable but kills about
10% of patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Last year, seven people died and more than 100 were sickened
during an outbreak in New York’s Harlem neighborhood.
City officials began tracking the current outbreak July 2, after two
people were infected in the area.
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 The city says tests have identified
either living or dead Legionella bacteria — the micro-organisms that
cause the disease — in cooling towers on more than 75 Upper East
Side buildings. They include prominent museums, private schools and
pricey apartment houses.
It's not yet clear which, if any, of them contributed to the
outbreak, but all the buildings were ordered to clean, drain and
disinfect the cooling towers. They are devices sometimes used to
cool large buildings.
Legionella bacteria grow in warm water and can spread in cooling
towers, hot tubs and showerheads. In many cases, people contract the
disease by inhaling tiny droplets of contaminated water.
Legionnaires’ disease doesn’t spread person-to-person.
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