NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Has Now Taken 3 Lives

A deadly Legionnaires' disease cluster on Manhattan's Upper East Side has now claimed three lives, though health officials suggest the source has been contained, reports ABC News. New York City's health chief Alister F. Martin announced the deaths of an 88-year-old man and a third, unidentified patient on Sunday, following the first reported fatality on Friday. In all, 74 people have been sickened since early July, per the New York Times. Most were hospitalized, and all but eight have been discharged, according to the city's Health Department.

Legionnaires' disease is a serious pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm, stagnant water and can spread through mist from rooftop cooling towers. Investigators zeroed in on such systems in the neighborhood and ordered 76 buildings to clean and disinfect their towers. Officials now believe the contamination source has been removed and say new cases have not appeared in more than a week. The second victim, described by his family's lawyer as a retired businessman and Air Force veteran in his 80s, fell ill July 2 at his home. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems remain most at risk.