WHITE PLAINS, NY (September 8, 2025) — Two people have died and 37 others have been sickened in an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Westchester County, health officials announced during a press conference Monday.
One fatality occurred in White Plains and another in New Rochelle, Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said.
She did not provide details on when the deaths occurred or when the cases were diagnosed.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which grow in warm, stagnant water in places like cooling towers, hot tubs and other man-made water systems,
Amler explained. “These bacteria tend to grow in warm, stagnant water, particularly in places like cooling towers, hot tubs and other man made water systems where water stands accumulates,” she said. “Historically, we have seen more cases of Legionella during the summer months, and this summer has been especially hot and humid conditions, and these created have created an ideal environment for Legionella to thrive.”
The disease is not contagious and spreads by inhaling mist or vapor containing the bacteria, typically from building water systems like air conditioning cooling towers, Amler said.
Symptoms include flu-like signs such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches or headaches, and it can be treated with antibiotics. High-risk groups include smokers, people with chronic health conditions like diabetes and chronic lung disease, and those who are immunocompromised, such as individuals with organ transplants, blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma or multiple myeloma, or end-stage kidney disease.
The announcement follows a significant outbreak in Central Harlem this season, where 114 people were infected and seven died. The New York City Department of Health identified the source and contained the outbreak, declaring residents no longer at increased risk.
In Westchester, officials are urging building owners and facility managers to stay current on cooling tower testing, maintenance and reporting.
“Public health is a shared responsibility, and we ask all building owners and facility managers to stay up to date on their testing and maintenance and reporting duties,” Amler said. “This is how we keep our communities safe.”
Associate Sanitarian Matt Smith provided details on local response efforts. Westchester has 561 cooling towers, including 142 in White Plains alone. Under New York state regulations established after a 2015 Bronx outbreak that sickened 233 and killed 16, all cooling towers must register, undergo annual certifications, monthly inspections, bacteria sampling every 30 days and Legionella testing every 90 days.
The county’s enhanced surveillance began after the 2015 outbreak, involving collaboration between disease control and environmental health teams. When cases cluster, teams interview patients and families to identify exposures, then sample and investigate potential sources. The department tracks test results, flags exceedances and ensures corrective actions, such as immediate disinfection when levels are elevated.
“We have worked closely with the state health officials to conduct targeted sampling in Westchester at towers that have shown elevated results and have failed to update the registry on time,” Smith said. “In some cases, these towers are often required to perform additional treatment and monitoring to bring them back into compliance.”
Cooling towers cool water through evaporation, with air pulled through by fans, and are used in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Legionella thrives in water between 68 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit if not properly maintained.
The disease’s name originates from a 1976 outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, where 221 of 4,000 attendees developed pneumonia, resulting in 34 deaths traced to a hotel’s cooling tower.
County Executive Ken Jenkins thanked the health department for monitoring cooling towers, parks, facilities, pools and other sites to prevent bacterial spread. “There’s just so many things our great health department does that you don’t see, but if it doesn’t work, we do find out in a quick way,” he said.
More information is available at health.westchestergov.com.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.