amny.com43%
Legionnaires’ disease outbreak: Two deaths confirmed in Upper East Side cluster as cases increase 24%
By Barbara Russo-Lennon52%
7/19/2026, 12:24:03 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 12 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Status Quo Bias, and Optimism Bias, with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 17.9% saturation with 95 hits. Analysis detected 512 faulty-reasoning hits from 532 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 37.2% and a BS Rank of 24% (15,589 of 20,498 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 76.10% of the article peer group.
Two people have now died from the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side (UES), health department officials confirmed.
The NYC Health Department announced the second death late Saturday night.
“We are heartbroken to learn that another New Yorker has lost their life to Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side.
Our deepest condolences are with their loved ones as they grieve,” NYC Health Commissioner Alister Martin, MD, said in a statement.
The city announced the first death from the recent outbreak on Friday.
The case count in the ongoing Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, which began on July 2, increased to 72 as of July 18, as the city continues to contend with other major health concerns, including poor air quality due to Canadian wildfire smoke and a nationwide cyclospora outbreak that causes severe diarrhea.
City officials have not released any additional information on the two people who died, other than that the deaths were in connection with the UES community cluster.
Legionnaires’ disease claimed the lives of seven people during an outbreak in Harlem last year.
“Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is deadly, but it can be treated with antibiotics if caught early,” Martin said.
Nine people of the total number of cases on the UES are currently hospitalized.
From July 10 through July 17, the health department confirmed an average of fewer than one new case per day.
During the first week of the investigation, from July 2 through July 8, the Health Department confirmed an average of more than eight new cases per day.
However, this pattern may change as new cases are investigated and confirmed, officials said.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the outbreak, the health department said it ordered 76 buildings with cooling towers in the affected areas — ZIP codes 10028, 10075 and 10128 — that tested positive for Legionella bacteria in initial PCR screenings to immediately clean and disinfect their systems.
By July 16, all 76 buildings had completed the required remediation, the department said, adding that it also tested 183 cooling tower systems in the zone and had completed all initial PCR screenings.
“We have also reminded cooling tower operators across the city of their summertime requirement to increase use of biocides that kill Legionella bacteria,” Martin said.
“We will continue inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive and will hold accountable any owner who fails to comply with our public health laws.”
Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious.
It is a type of pneumonia caused by breathing in mist containing the bacteria.
Most people who are exposed to the bacteria do not develop Legionnaires' disease, the health department said, adding that illness usually occurs after high or repeated exposure, especially in people who are at increased risk.
The health department officials also reminded New Yorkers to seek medical attention if they exhibit symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, which include fever, chills, muscle aches and cough.
People at increased risk include adults aged 50 and older, people who smoke or vape, those with chronic lung disease, and people with weakened immune systems or who take immunosuppressant medications.
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