Family blames cooling tower owner after Air Force veteran dies in UES Legionnaires' outbreak
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The family of an 88-year-old Upper East Side man who died after contracting Legionnaires' disease is planning to sue the owner of the cooling tower linked to the source of the outbreak when it is identified.
He is one of four people who have died in connection to the outbreak.
Speaking through an attorney, the family said the victim was an Air Force veteran who had been married for 50 years. His wife found him suffering from a fever near an open window in their Yorkville apartment on July 2.
After spending two weeks in intensive care, he died Friday.
"He was intubated and on a respirator, also bedside dialysis," attorney Ron Ketter said. "Intravenous antibiotics and I think they were even monitoring his brainwaves."
The man's death comes as health officials continue investigating the source of the Legionnaires' disease cluster on the Upper East Side. Authorities have been testing cooling towers throughout the area, including one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that tested positive for Legionella bacteria.
So far, 76 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease since the outbreak was first identified. Seven patients remain hospitalized.
The outbreak has been concentrated in ZIP codes 10128, 10028 and 10075.
The city's Health Department is urging anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms to seek medical attention. Symptoms can appear up to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria.
Officials said no new cases have been linked to the outbreak in more than a week and believe the source of exposure has been eliminated, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday, continued to reassure New Yorkers that the water is safe to drink, bathe in, shower and cook with, and says it's safe to keep using air conditioners.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can spread through contaminated water systems, including cooling towers. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing serious illness.
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