5 dead, 82 sick in Upper East Side Legionnaires' disease outbreak

5 dead, 82 sick in Upper East Side Legionnaires' disease outbreak

A fifth person has died in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease on the Upper East Side. The death is among 82 confirmed cases associated with the outbreak, the city Health Department said on Tuesday.

The numbers continued to rise just one day after the city confirmed a fourth death from the disease, a type of pneumonia contracted by inhaling water vapor containing Legionella bacteria. Confirmatory testing has found live bacteria in 34 cooling towers at 33 buildings on the Upper East Side, officials said.

All 34 cooling towers have been cleaned and disinfected, as have other cooling towers that previously tested positive, the city said. Officials said the city was awaiting results for 140 remaining cooling tower systems tested for the bacteria.

The city also said it took swift action after learning of the cluster, which helped 'save lives,' according to city Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin.

'We believe that through our aggressive strategy of testing and remediation we have eliminated the source of exposure. We will learn more as our investigation unfolds and look forward to updating our existing policies and procedures to [prevent] future clusters,' Martin said. 'Right now, we are focused on identifying the source of exposure through laboratory analyses and holding accountable anyone found out of compliance with local laws.'

The city said 56 people who contracted the disease have been discharged from the hospital, while eight remain hospitalized. No new cases have been diagnosed in six days, and no one has reported new symptoms in more than 10 days, according to the Health Department.

The outbreak has affected three Upper East Side ZIP codes: 10028, 10075 and 10128.