MANHATTAN, N.Y. (WPIX) – A fourth person has died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, the city’s health department confirmed late Monday.

The first reported death in relation to the Legionnaires cluster on the Upper East Side was reported on Friday. The health department announced two more deaths on Saturday and Sunday.

As of Monday, seven people were still hospitalized with the disease and 76 total cases had been reported, NYC health officials said.

What is Legionnaires’ disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water. Health officials have focused on testing cooling towers that are part of air conditioning systems for large buildings. Property owners have been ordered to drain and disinfect towers where there has been a positive test result.

Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but 10 percent of people will die due to complications from the illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One of the victims of NYC’s outbreak was identified as an 88-year-old businessman and Air Force Veteran, who died after battling the illness for two-weeks, according to his widow’s attorney.

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Ron Katter, speaking with NewsNation local affiliate WPIX, said his client’s husband lived in the East 70’s near York Avenue and was found sick by his wife on July 2.

“She had gone to take care of an errand and left him sitting in his apartment, next to an open window, reading a magazine, paying his bills,” Katter said. “And when she returned, he wasn’t feeling well and he had a very high fever of 104 degrees.”

Katter plans to sue the owner of the cooling tower when the city health department determines exactly which one is responsible for the active Legionella bacteria that made people sick. Katter said “it’s as if they were dispersing a poisonous gas from the roof of their building. That’s what it is.”

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Earlier this week, Dr. Alister Martin, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said investigators had noticed a decline in new cases, indicating the source of exposure to Legionella bacteria had likely been eliminated. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said as much Monday, as well.

Officials encourage anyone who lives in or has spent time in ZIP codes 10028, 10075 and 10128 to seek immediate medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms.

The Health Department will continue to inspect every cooling tower that tested positive for Legionella bacteria.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/4th-person-dies-legionnaires-disease-outbreak-new-york/