A fifth person has died in connection with a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City, health officials confirmed Tuesday.
The total number of cases has risen to at least 82.
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Eight patients remain hospitalized, while 56 have been discharged since the cluster began.
The outbreak is centered in the Upper East Side, including Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, across ZIP codes 10028, 10075, and 10128.
Cooling Towers Blamed
City officials believe the primary source of exposure has been eliminated after widespread inspections of building cooling towers.
Health authorities ordered owners of 76 buildings with positive tests to drain, clean, and disinfect their equipment.
By Tuesday, 34 cooling towers at 33 buildings containing live bacteria had been cleaned and disinfected. Nine towers tested negative, while results for another 140 towers are pending.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani credited early testing and enforcement for containing the spread. He noted that new symptom onset has dropped significantly after a peak in early July.
"We have not seen anyone with new symptoms in over a week.
We are focused on inspecting every cooling tower that tested positive and enforcing our laws to their fullest extent," said Dr. Alister Martin, Health Commissioner.
Health officials confirmed the outbreak is isolated to cooling towers and is not connected to drinking water, showers, or home air conditioners.
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Residents in affected areas can safely continue using tap water for drinking, cooking, and bathing.
