What to know about Legionnaires' disease making people sick in New York City

New York City health officials are actively investigating a cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases affecting two neighborhoods on the Upper East Side. As of July 6, the outbreak has resulted in 23 confirmed cases, leading to 17 hospitalizations, but thankfully, no fatalities have been reported.

Authorities have identified cooling towers, typically found atop buildings to regulate temperature, as the probable source of the bacteria. The city's health department is currently testing all such towers within the affected areas, identified as Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, spanning ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075.

Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water and can spread through building water systems like showerheads, hot tubs, and cooling towers. Transmission occurs when people inhale tiny droplets of contaminated water. Health officials have reassured residents that the disease cannot be contracted from person-to-person contact or from drinking tap water, bathing, showering, or cooking.

Symptoms, which typically appear two days to two weeks after exposure, include cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. Individuals aged 50 and older, smokers, those with chronic lung diseases, or weakened immune systems are at a higher risk. While treatable with antibiotics, the disease can be fatal if left untreated, with complications potentially leading to respiratory failure, shock, and organ failure.