New York City Declares Upper East Side Legionnaires Outbreak Controlled

The New York City Department of Health announced that the Legionnaires' disease outbreak on the Upper East Side has been declared over. The decision follows a two‑week period with no new cases, closing the 14‑day incubation window for the ZIP codes 10028, 10075 and 10128.

The outbreak resulted in 92 confirmed cases, 79 hospitalizations and seven deaths. The health department had ordered 83 building owners to drain and disinfect cooling towers after detecting Legionella bacteria; testing later found live bacteria in 59 towers. While the precise source remains unidentified, officials say the aerosol‑producing source is no longer active. Genome sequencing of bacterial samples is underway and results are expected by the end of August.

Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin emphasized that the risk to residents is now low, even though the investigation into the exact tower responsible continues.