Second Death Reported in NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak

UPDATE Jul 19, 2026 11:32 AM CDT

The outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Manhattan's Upper East Side has caused a second death, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday. A total of 72 people have fallen ill, officials said, per the AP. They said the outbreak's source probably has been eliminated, CBS News reports: Since July 8, the number of reported cases has declined sharply.

Jul 18, 2026 8:10 AM CDT

New York City's Legionnaires' outbreak has turned deadly. Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin announced the first death tied to the Upper East Side cluster, offering condolences but releasing no details about the person, citing privacy, per NBC News and the AP. The outbreak, first flagged on July 2, has now sickened 71 people, per local health officials; more than 50 have been hospitalized, and 10 remain in the hospital, as of Friday. Inspectors have tested all 183 cooling towers in three affected ZIP codes, with about 75 shng initial positives for Legionella bacteria—including systems at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, per NBC.

Most buildings have already drained and disinfected their cooling towers, and the rest were expected to have finished by Thursday. Martin said the city moved faster than in prior outbreaks by ordering cleanups after first-round tests, without waiting the usual two weeks for confirmation of live bacteria. City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who lives in the neighborhood, argues the city still hasn't taken enough action and plans a hearing to scrutinize its response. Legionnaires', a bacterial pneumonia often spread via contaminated water droplets, is treatable but fatal in roughly 10% of cases, per the CDC.