NYC orders disinfection of ten South Bronx cooling towers after Legionella tests

A cooling tower at Yankee Stadium is among ten in the South Bronx that preliminarily tested positive for Legionella bacteria, city health officials said on Sunday. The Department of Health has ordered all ten towers to be cleaned and disinfected by Sept. 14. The towers are located in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, covering parts of the Morrisania and Melrose neighborhoods, and include sites at 1 E. 161st St. and 234 E. 149th St., the latter the address of Lincoln Hospital.

Health Commissioner Alister Martin said that being inside a building with a tower that tested positive does not expose occupants to the water, adding that “the air inside the building is not different from anywhere else in the neighborhood.” He urged anyone who has been in the area since late August and develops flu-like symptoms to seek medical care promptly.

The preliminary PCR tests identified Legionella DNA but cannot confirm whether the bacteria are alive; culture testing is ongoing. Officials noted that it is not yet known whether any of the positive towers contributed to the outbreak. To date, nine people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, one of whom died, and three remain hospitalized.

Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, spreads through inhalation of mist containing live bacteria and is not contagious. Martin reminded the public that the disease is treatable and that showering, drinking tap water, and using air conditioners remain safe in the affected ZIP codes.

Eight of the ten towers complied with a 31-day testing requirement that began in May, while two towers failed to provide the required testing information. This cluster follows a larger outbreak on the Upper East Side in July that resulted in 11 deaths and 94 illnesses.