NYC Orders Disinfection of Ten Bronx Cooling Towers After Legionella Detection

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ordered the immediate cleaning and disinfection of ten rooftop cooling towers in the South Bronx after preliminary PCR testing identified Legionella bacteria. The towers, which serve facilities such as Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital, were among 24 sampled sites, with traces of the bacteria found in ten of them.

The city detected the outbreak following a rise in Legionnaires’ disease cases that began in late August, ultimately reporting nine infections and one fatality. Because PCR results cannot differentiate between live and dead bacteria, officials opted for precautionary remediation while awaiting culture confirmation, which can take up to two weeks.

"When we look at outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in New York City, we almost always see it in the Bronx or Harlem," said Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO of the Wellness Equity Alliance and former chief medical officer for the city.

"A lot of times, we see risk of infections taking place in historically marginalized communities."

Evans noted that high summer temperatures create favorable conditions for bacterial growth in cooling systems and that older adults and individuals with underlying health conditions are most vulnerable to severe illness. He emphasized that early medical treatment with antibiotics is effective when the disease is identified promptly.

Health officials advised residents, workers, and visitors in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456 to monitor for symptoms such as high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing up blood since late August. The department plans to continue inspections and has called for sustained public investment to enable regular testing of cooling towers during periods of elevated risk.