NYC Legionnaires Outbreak Traced to Old Opera House

After weeks of bickering between city and state officials about how to address New York City’s unprecedented Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, the source of the disease has reportedly been located — and the outbreak declared “over” for good.

NYC Health Commissioner Mary Bassett announced on Thursday afternoon that bacteria found in the water-cooling tower of the Opera House Hotel in the South Bronx matched the same “DNA fingerprint” as samples from a patients.

In all, 12 were killed and around 120 treated for Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, since the first case was reported on July 10.

The boutique Opera House Hotel is housed in a converted 1913 opera house on East 149th Street, in a busy part of town.

The hotel reportedly released the following statement on Thursday:

“It’s particularly disappointing because our system is 2 years old, has the most up-to-date technology available and our maintenance plan has been consistent with the regulations that both the city and the state are putting in place. We have worked closely with both the city and the state since this issue first arose and have done everything requested to address the situation.”

At least 18 other buildings in the South Bronx (and one in Manhattan) tested positive for traces of the Legionella bacteria during mandatory cooling-tower inspections, which began a couple weeks ago. (Citywide mandatory testing is still in effect.)

However, health officials said Thursday, the bacteria found at the Opera House Hotel matched that found in patient samples.

No new cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported in NYC since Aug. 3.