NYC Health Declares East Side Legionnaires Outbreak Over

New York City health officials declared on Friday, July 31, 2026, that the source of a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak on the Upper East Side has been eliminated and residents and visitors are no longer at heightened risk. The announcement came after two weeks passed without any new cases linked to the cluster, which has resulted in seven deaths and 92 confirmed illnesses.

Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin made the declaration during a morning press briefing, stating that the threat in the affected ZIP codes-10028, 10075, and 10128-has ended. He confirmed that 79 people were hospitalized during the outbreak, with five patients remaining hospitalized as of July 30. Martin offered condolences to the families of the victims, calling the death toll unacceptable.

The outbreak was first identified by the Health Department on July 2. Investigators determined it was caused by a water cooling tower contaminated with Legionella bacteria, which causes the severe form of pneumonia when mist is inhaled. The city tested 183 cooling towers at 160 buildings in the area. Initial screening detected signs of the bacteria in 77 towers, with slower culture testing confirming live bacteria...