76 UES Buildings Test Positive For Legionella, Officials Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — New York City health officials said Tuesday that 76 buildings have cooling towers that have tested positive for Legionella bacteria in a PCR test on the Upper East Side, up from the 31 buildings confirmed last week.

So far, 57 of these cooling towers have already been disinfected, and the rest will be remediated by Thursday, officials from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said during a press briefing Wednesday.

Importantly, PCR screening tests do not confirm whether the bacterial infection is active, but they confirm that the bacteria's DNA is in the water. A second test, which can take up to two weeks, will confirm where the outbreak is coming from.

"We expect this to be the complete list of buildings ordered to clean and disinfect their towers," Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner, said of the 76 buildings. "Confirmatory culture testing, which identifies live bacteria that can cause illness, is still ongoing."

The outbreak of Legionnaires' disease emerged on July 2 and has been concentrated in ZIP codes 10028, 10128 and 10075. The health department tested 183 cooling towers in the neighborhood.

On Friday, the city confirmed that 31 buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum and Asphalt Green, tested positive and were ordered to disinfect and drain their cooling towers.

Officials will release the addresses of the buildings added to the list soon, Martin said.

As of Tuesday morning, 60 people are sickened by Legionnaires' disease on the Upper East Side. Fifteen people remain hospitalized, while 34 have been discharged and are recovering at home. Eleven others were not hospitalized, officials said.

"We are now seeing significantly fewer new cases. Yesterday, we identified just one new case," Martin said.

Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia, is caused by bacteria called Legionella that thrive in humid environments, such as cooling towers, which cycle warm air through water.

The disease spreads by inhaling contaminated mist, officials said. Drinking tap water, showering, and using the air conditioner are all safe, officials said. Masks are not shown to protect from infection, officials said.

Upper East Siders experiencing flu-like symptoms — such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing — should contact a healthcare provider immediately.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.