纽约市上东区近期爆发一起严重的军团病（Legionnaires'）疫情，导致至少 28 人感染 [1]。为控制疫情扩散，纽约市卫生部门已下令对全市 19 栋建筑的冷却塔进行清洗和消毒处理 [1]。针对此次事件及气候变化背景下的公共卫生挑战，卫生官员 Dr Alister Martin 指出：“这现在是一个亚热带气候”[1]。
专家警告称，随着全球气温升高，细菌在温暖水域中繁殖的条件变得更加有利，从而增加了该疾病的传播风险 [1]。尽管目前纽约市的总体发病率极低，但军团病本身的死亡率可能高达 10% [1]。此外，卫生部门表示，调查工作可能需要长达一个月的时间才能确定疫情的具体源头 [1]。
A legionnaires' disease outbreak has struck the Upper East Side of New York City, resulting in at least 28 confirmed infections [1]. In response to the situation, officials with the New York City Department of Health have ordered cleaning and disinfection procedures for cooling towers across 19 buildings [1]. Dr. Alister Martin, a health department official, stated that "This is now a subtropical climate" due to rising temperatures [1]. He further warned that while overall infection rates remain extremely low, the changing climate creates more favorable conditions for bacteria to reproduce in warm waters [1]. The severity of the disease can be significant, with mortality rates reaching up to 10% [1]. Investigators are currently working to identify the specific source of the outbreak, a process expected to take approximately one month [1].