Legionnaires' disease cluster on Upper East Side rises to 14 cases

Health department expands investigation to third Upper East Side ZIP code

New York City health officials reported Sunday that the number of confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases in a community cluster on the Upper East Side has risen to 14, with the investigation area expanded to include a third ZIP code.

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said in a statement that at least one case involves a person who lives, works, or has visited ZIP code 10075. “As a result, The NYC Health Department is adding this ZIP code to the investigation area with 10028 and 10128,” Martin said.

The outbreak was first identified Thursday with just two confirmed cases, Martin said. “We identified the cluster early when there were just two confirmed cases, and we’ve acted swiftly and decisively, setting holiday plans aside to step up for our fellow New Yorkers,” he said. “There is more work to do in the days ahead as we learn more about the source of exposure and confirmed cases.”

As of Sunday, no deaths have been associated with the cluster, according to the health department.

Martin advised people in the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms and to contact a healthcare provider immediately if they occur. The warning also covers anyone who visited the east side of Central Park from East 76th to East 97th Street.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia that occurs from inhaling water droplets from manmade water systems contaminated with Legionella bacteria, usually traced to cooling towers, according to the health department.

The infection was first identified after an outbreak of pneumonia caused 34 deaths at a 1976 American Legion Convention in Philadelphia, leading to the disease being named Legionnaires’ disease.

The latest cases come a year after seven people died and 90 were hospitalized due to a Legionnaires’ outbreak in central Harlem. Investigators in that incident matched the Legionella strain found in victims to cooling towers at two locations, including Harlem Hospital and a nearby construction site.