Two people have died and 35 more have fallen sick due to Legionnaires’ disease in Westchester County, authorities said Monday.
The two deceased victims have not been identified, WNBC reported. One lived in White Plains, and the other lived in New Rochelle.
Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said the numbers announced Monday represented the total number of infections and deaths during the summer months, according to News 12 Westchester. The sources of the infections were not revealed.
Amler said the 37 cases in the county also represented an increase from 2024, WNBC reported. She said a possible cause was a higher number of 90-degree days.
The announcement comes on the heels of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem that killed seven people and sickened more than 100.
That outbreak was traced to Harlem Hospital and a nearby construction site, according to city officials. It was declared over in the last week of August.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrives in warm and standing water. The Harlem cases were traced to air conditioning cooling towers, which were later sanitized and declared safe.
Previous outbreaks have been linked to fountains, showers, spas and mist systems used to cool fruit at public markets.
Last summer, four people died from the disease at a senior living facility in Albany.
