Family of Legionnaires' victim plans lawsuit as outbreak death toll reaches 4
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The family of an 88-year-old Air Force veteran who died after contracting Legionnaires' disease plans to announce a lawsuit Tuesday as New York City health officials continue searching for the source of an outbreak that has sickened dozens of people on the Upper East Side.
The man, who spent two weeks in the intensive care unit before dying Friday, is among four people who have died during the outbreak. City health officials say there have now been 76 confirmed cases, with seven people currently hospitalized, 53 discharged and 12 others not requiring hospitalization.
The victim's family says he was a decorated Air Force veteran who had been married for 50 years. According to the family's attorney, the man's wife found him feverish near an open window in their Yorkville apartment on July 2. His condition worsened and he was later hospitalized.
The latest death comes as officials work to determine the exact source of the outbreak. Last week, city health officials said case numbers appeared to be trending in the right direction, but four deaths have been reported in recent days.
To pinpoint the source, the city has been using sensitive PCR testing to detect Legionella bacteria in cooling towers across the Upper East Side. The Health Department has ordered 76 buildings to clean and disinfect their cooling towers after testing positive.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended the city's response, saying investigators moved quickly after the first cases emerged.
"In the past, city protocol has been to begin an investigation after three cases have been confirmed in a tight area and time frame," the mayor said. "We did not wait for that. On Thursday, July 2nd, we launched our investigation with just two confirmed cases. Following the guidance of public health experts, we directed every building with an initial positive test result to immediately clean and disinfect its cooling tower."
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, council members and other officials are expected to address the city's response to the outbreak during an event on the Upper East Side Tuesday afternoon.
Health officials have not yet identified the outbreak's exact source, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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