NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak July 2026
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
Legionella positive tests more than double in Upper East Side buildings
As of Tuesday, 57 building owners had completed the remediation process for their cooling towers.
The number of new Legionnaires' diagnoses peaked on July 6.
The Legionnaires' outbreak has sickened 63 people and sent 52 to the hospital.
A Sensible New Yorker's Guide to Legionella Season
64 people have been hospitalized due to the outbreak, with 56 discharged and five reported deaths.
The Guggenheim and the Met tested positive for Legionella.
Legionnaires' disease has a 10 percent fatality rate.
NYC Legionnaires' outbreak: cooling towers test positive for Legionella
The Upper East Side has more than three times as many cooling towers as the city tested during the 2025 Harlem outbreak.
In the 2025 Harlem outbreak, 114 people were infected and seven people died.
As of Wednesday evening, 22 people who were sick had gone to hospital, with some treated in the intensive care unit.
“Our facilities are regularly tested, and like hundreds of other cooling towers at buildings and facilities across the affected area, have been examined again in recent days, with one showing a positive result. In an abundance of caution, we have sanitized all three NYC Transit cooling towers on Second Avenue and will be subsequently retesting,”
Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Upper East Side near Central Park
People over 50, those with lung problems, smokers, and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for Legionnaire's disease.
City health officials were testing cooling towers in the area to find the cause of the outbreak.
City health officials advised visitors to the East Side of Central Park between 76th Street and 97th Street to monitor for symptoms.