Overview

• County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said the summer tally includes fatalities of residents from White Plains and New Rochelle.
• Health authorities urged anyone with pneumonia-like symptoms to seek care promptly, noting the disease is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
• Westchester officials have not disclosed environmental sources for the infections, and the county reports 561 cooling towers are regularly tested for Legionella.
• Dr. Amler noted this year’s cases exceed 2024’s count and suggested unusually hot weather may have contributed to conditions favorable for bacterial growth.
• The announcement follows a larger Harlem outbreak that was traced to contaminated cooling towers, remediated in August, and has already prompted a lawsuit over alleged maintenance failures.