Every building on Manhattan's Upper East Side linked to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak has now cleaned its cooling towers, according to city officials. The announcement came as health authorities worked to contain the spread of the bacterial illness in one of New York City's most densely populated neighborhoods.
CBS News reported that officials confirmed all affected buildings had completed the cleaning process. Cooling towers, which are commonly found on the rooftops of large buildings, can harbor the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease if not properly maintained. The bacteria thrive in warm, stagnant water and can spread through the air when water droplets are released.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia. It is caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria. The illness can be serious or even fatal, particularly for older adults, people who smoke, and those with weakened immune systems. It is not transmitted from person to person.
Outbreaks tied to cooling towers have occurred in New York City before. The city enacted stricter regulations on cooling tower maintenance following a major outbreak in the South Bronx in 2015 that killed 12 people and sickened more than 120. Those regulations require building owners to regularly test and treat their cooling towers and to report results to the city.
Officials did not specify how many buildings were involved in the Upper East Side cluster or how many people were sickened. As of the time of this report, the investigation was ongoing.
