UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — All 31 Upper East Side cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria have now been disinfected, and health officials are entering the next phase of their investigation into the neighborhood's Legionnaires' disease outbreak.
The next step is determining whether bacteria found in any of the cooling towers matches samples taken from people who became sick, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said during a town hall Monday night.
"We take the sputum of the patient who is sick with Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease and we do whole genome sequencing — we actually sequence the entire DNA," Martin said. "We then go back to that cooling tower result; sometimes we’re able to identify an exact match."
The outbreak was first identified on July 2 and has been concentrated in ZIP codes 10028, 10128 and 10075, according to the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Health officials tested 183 cooling towers in the affected area, with 31 returning positive results for Legionella bacteria, including one at the Guggenheim Museum.
During Monday night's town hall, Upper East Side Councilmember Julie Menin urged the health department to provide more information about the investigation and take additional steps to prevent further spread.
"New Yorkers deserve greater transparency. DOHMH should proactively disinfect all cooling towers in the affected area, promptly disclose which buildings have tested positive for Legionella, and provide the public with more information about the outbreak’s apparent epicenter so residents can make informed decisions," Menin said.
As of Tuesday morning, 60 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease in the outbreak.
Fifteen people remain hospitalized, while 34 have been discharged and are recovering at home. Eleven others were not hospitalized, officials said.
Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can grow in warm water systems such as cooling towers. People become infected by breathing in contaminated water droplets. The disease does not spread from person to person, and drinking tap water, showering and using an air conditioner are considered safe, health officials said.
Residents experiencing flu-like symptoms — including fever, cough or difficulty breathing — should contact a healthcare provider immediately, officials said.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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