Dozens more buildings test positive for bacteria driving outbreak of deadly lung disease… including tourist hot spot and ritzy private school

More than 40 more buildings have been added to the list of those testing positive for a life-threatening bacteria causing an outbreak in New York City. 

And while new cases of Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia spread through contaminated water vapor that kills one in ten patients, have slowed down, three more were reported on Tuesday. This brings the total to 63. Twelve people are hospitalized. 

Last week, 31 buildings were identified as potential sources of Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires’ disease. On Tuesday, the list was updated to include 45 more, bringing the total to 76 buildings testing positive for the bacteria. 

A building on the list indicates it has a cooling tower or towers that have tested positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria.

This is the first time in a Legionnaires’ outbreak that city health officials have released a list of buildings in the involved area with cooling towers, which release water mist into the outside air, that have tested positive for the pathogen.

The sites on the list span zip codes 10128, 10029, 10075 and 10028, which are located in the Upper East Side, Yorkville and Carnegie Hill areas of Manhattan. 

Officials originally identified 10075, 10028 and 10128 as potential hot spots, as almost all the patients live, work or recently visited those areas.

Of note among the buildings is The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Spence School – a private school that costs nearly $70,000 a year, the Guggenheim Museum, a building with a Whole Foods Market at the street level, Gracie Towers – a residential building across the street from the New York City mayor’s official residence – and a fitness facility.

A case was first recorded on June 27 and an outbreak was suspected earlier this month as additional cases were reported

Most other addresses on the list are standard apartment, condo or otherwise residential buildings. 

NYC Health officials said that ‘every building identified has been ordered to clean and disinfect its cooling tower immediately out of an abundance of caution.’

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Officials added that additional testing is being conducted and more buildings may be added to the list.  

Regardless of a positive test, only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness, so more in-depth testing is being done to determine if live Legionella were present when the samples were collected. 

Those results can take up to two weeks. 

Now, following new emergency orders from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the owners of buildings whose cooling towers tested positive must clean and disinfect those towers immediately – rather than waiting for the live testing results to return. 

A case was first recorded on June 27 and an outbreak was suspected earlier this month as additional cases were reported. 

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria that thrives in warm and damp locations. It can become airborne in water vapor and then be breathed in by people, potentially triggering an infection. 

Common sources for the Legionella bacteria include centralized air conditioning systems, hot tubs, water fountains and large building plumbing systems. 

Officials said it is safe to use air conditioners and cooling centers in the affected zip codes. It is also safe to shower and drink tap water and ‘there is no additional risk being inside one of these buildings.’ 

The disease does not spread person-to-person.  

Infected patients initially suffer from a headache, muscle aches and fever, before the disease also triggers a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, confusion or other symptoms.

Of note among the buildings that have tested positive for the presence of the type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease is the Guggenheim Museum

Cooling towers and air conditioning units are seen in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan last year amid a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the area

In severe cases, patients can suffer from severe pneumonia and the potentially fatal complication sepsis, when the bacteria spreads to the blood.

Doctors can treat the disease using antibiotics, but say that these drugs are most effective during the early stages of the disease and before its spread in the body.

Those who are over 50 years old, smoke or vape, have a chronic lung disease or a weakened immune system are at higher risk from the bacteria.

Nationwide, infections with Legionnaires’ disease have soared over the last two decades, rising from about 1,100 cases in 2000 to more than 8,000 today.

New York City records between 300 and 600 cases every year, according to data from the city’s health department.

In August last year, seven people died and 114 people were sickened by a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem. Ninety people were hospitalized.

Health officials linked the outbreak to the bacteria in 12 cooling towers across 10 buildings, including a city-run hospital and sexual health clinic.

About 90 percent of those infected had underlying risk factors, including being over 50 years old, being a smoker or having a chronic lung disease.