First Death Reported as Manhattan Legionnaires' Outbreak Grows to 67 Cases

Investigators are tracing the bacteria to cooling towers across the Upper East Side.

A Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side has claimed its first fatality, as the number of confirmed cases climbed to 67, according to Fox News.

Twelve people have been hospitalized in connection with the outbreak. Investigators are working to trace the source of the Legionella bacteria, which they believe is linked to dozens of cooling towers in the neighborhood, a common source of the waterborne pathogen in urban outbreaks.

Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria, which can grow in building water systems, including cooling towers used for air conditioning in large buildings. Health officials typically respond to such outbreaks by testing and disinfecting nearby towers to identify and eliminate the contamination source. The investigation into the Upper East Side cluster remains ongoing.

— Compiled from reporting by Fox News.