Here's What's Next In The Legionnaires' Probe On The Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak that killed seven people and sickened 92 others on the Upper East Side has ended, but city health officials are still trying to identify the building that sparked it — and six potential lawsuits are already taking shape.

DNA sequencing — a process in which investigators match bacteria from patients' mucus to bacteria in the contaminated cooling towers — is underway, and results are expected by the end of August, Health Commissioner Alister Martin said.

While city officials work to track down which of the 33 buildings that tested positive for live Legionella bacteria had the deadly strain, attorney Ronald Katter told Patch he is ready to sue the building owner at fault on behalf of six clients so far.

Katter previously told Patch his clients are waiting for confirmation on which building owner to sue before pulling the trigger.

"The city may say it’s over, but for those sickened or who lost a loved one, their pain and suffering will endure," Katter said.

The buildings that tested positive were all concentrated in ZIP codes 10075, 10028 and 10128, and included a few notable addresses like the Guggenheim Museum and the Chapin School.

During the city inspection of 183 cooling towers in the area, 60 percent received at least one violation.

The building with the most violations, located at 300 E. 83rd St., received 11 violations totaling $11,000 for an unregistered cooling tower that had not been sampled for Legionella in more than a year. Next in line, 1520 York Ave. was cited for nine violations totaling $9,000.

"All New Yorkers deserve a government that responds quickly, acts transparently, and never hesitates to protect public health," Martin said.

Five people remain hospitalized with the illness, according to the city.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.