A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has grown to 14 confirmed cases, New York City health officials said Sunday. The cases are tied to ZIP codes 10028, 10128 and 10075, covering parts of the Upper East Side, including Yorkville and Carnegie Hill.
Warning to Central Park Visitors
Officials are also urging anyone who spent time along the east side of Central Park between East 76th Street and East 97th Street to watch for flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, chills and muscle aches. Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. People can become infected by breathing in contaminated water droplets, and the illness can be dangerous — even deadly — without quick treatment.
The source of the outbreak remains under investigation. Officials say they are testing cooling towers in the affected area as a possible source, though no specific source has been identified. Cooling towers, often found on rooftops, can release mist carrying Legionella bacteria.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
