At least 12 people have died from Legionnaires’ disease and more than 100 cases reported in New York’s biggest ever outbreak.
Health officials are struggling to contain the deadly bacteria, which has been traced back to cooling towers in more than a dozen buildings in the South Bronx, one of the city's poorest neighbourhoods.
This form of pneumonia is particularly dangerous for the elderly; all but one of the 12 victims were older than 40 years old, and all of them had underlying health problems.
Cleaning crews have been dispatched across the Bronx to kill the bacteria, which is not spread from person to person, but through air conditioning and similar systems.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday: "We are dealing with a new set of realities we have never experienced that we have never encountered before in this city."
The disease has a 10-day incubation period, which has caused a delay in the reporting of cases, but Mr de Blasio and New York health officials believe that there have been no new cases since August 3.
Mr de Blasio said: "We have no evidence over the last few days of any new cases of Legionnaires'.
"As we go through every passing day with no new sicknesses, it's a very promising sign."
