NYC orders cleaning of 76 towers in Legionnaires outbreak

A Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side has expanded, with health officials now identifying 76 buildings whose cooling towers have tested positive for the bacteria and ordering their disinfection. The cluster has sickened at least 63 people, according to the latest figures from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The department announced on Tuesday, July 14, that it had sampled 183 cooling towers in the affected ZIP codes of 10028, 10128, and 10075. Of those, 76 tested positive for Legionella bacteria through initial PCR tests. Owners of 57 buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum, have already completed the required remediation. The remaining 19 properties, which include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and several prominent private schools, have been ordered to drain, clean, and disinfect their cooling towers by Thursday, July 16.

Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said the department is inspecting every building with a positive test to check for live bacteria and will issue violations to owners found not to have been properly maintaining their systems. He emphasized the aggressive response, stating officials did not wait...