A first death has been reported in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. As of Thursday night, health officials reported 67 cases of the disease, up from 63 earlier in the week.
Investigators have traced the Legionella bacteria to dozens of cooling towers located in the outbreak area. Twelve patients have been hospitalized as of the latest reports, according to health authorities monitoring the situation.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can spread through contaminated water in cooling systems and air conditioning units. Public health officials are continuing their investigation into the source and extent of the outbreak.
Sources
Featured photo: Gryffindor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)