Second person dies in Manhattan Legionnaires' cluster

The New York City Health Department says two people have now died in connection with a Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The department confirmed the second death late Saturday, but also said its data shows a sustained decline in newly diagnosed cases.

“While we mourn this loss, the data are also encouraging,” Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner, said. “Our aggressive strategy of testing, enforcement, and remediation appears to have stopped the source of exposure. We directed every building with an initial positive test result to immediately clean and disinfect its cooling tower, and every one has completed that work.”

Officials announced the first death in connection with the cluster on Friday. As of Saturday, the Health Department said it had identified a total of 72 cases of Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. Nine people remained hospitalized.

The health department didn't release any information about the individuals who died, including which buildings they lived in or when exactly they died.

Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia that people develop after breathing in water vapor that contains the bacteria Legionella. The bacteria isn’t spread through air conditioners, but rather typically grows in a building’s hot water system and residents inhale the mist in the shower, according to the city health department.

Legionnaires' disease is not contagious, and isn’t found in drinking water.

The health department reports those most at risk of the disease are people with weakened immune systems, those over 50, smokers, people with heart or lung issues and people with liver disease or diabetes.

The disease is treatable with antibiotics.

The Upper East Side cluster is in the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods, and is still being investigated. The city has ruled out an issue with any building's plumbing system and urges residents in those neighborhoods to continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners.

But it says anyone who lives, works or has visited in the area since late June and is experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact a health provider immediately. Those could include cough, fever, or difficulty breathing.