The city has told owners of ten cooling towers to clean them, including the one at Yankee Stadium, after new cases of Legionnaires’ disease were discovered in the South Bronx. Nine people have been diagnosed with the illness tied to the cluster in the Melrose and Morrisania sections of the Bronx, up from the five cases reported earlier in the week. One person has died, three people are still in the hospital, four have been discharged, and one person did not need hospital care.
Preliminary tests by the New York City Health Department found Legionella bacteria at the locations, although those results do not prove whether the bacteria were living or whether any of the cooling towers caused the outbreak. More culture testing is still being done and could take up to two weeks.
The Health Department’s Order
Ten cooling towers have been told to go through complete remediation work, which involves emptying, cleaning and disinfection, by Monday. After the Health Department launched its investigation on Sept. 10, it tested 24 cooling towers.
The cooling tower at 1 E. 161st St., which serves as the address for Yankee Stadium, has been placed on the list of locations to be cleaned, alongside nine other properties within the affected area.
Officials have announced that early PCR tests found evidence of Legionella bacteria at the locations under review, though these results do not establish whether the bacteria were alive or if any of the cooling towers were the source of the outbreak. Further culture testing is still being carried out, and it could take up to two weeks to complete.
The Yankees’ Response
Sunday night brought a statement from the Yankees outlining how the team has handled the outbreak. It explained that new, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency chiller towers were put into service at Yankee Stadium in 2024, and that water quality and bacteriological indicators have been tested weekly for the past three years.
The New York City Department of Health receives these test results from the Yankees on a monthly schedule. The last round of testing, carried out on Aug. 20, returned no trace of Legionella bacteria, and those findings were given to the Department of Health. Additional weekly tests were run on Aug. 26, Sept. 2, and Sept. 9.
In the area, the NYC Dept. of Health ran 24 PCR tests on cooling towers, with one of those tests carried out at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11. That stadium came back positive for trace amounts of Legionella bacteria, joining a total of 10 cooling towers in the Bronx that also tested positive.
A PCR test shows the existence of Legionella bacteria DNA without saying whether the bacteria are alive or dead, and it does not prove that a cooling tower was the source of exposure. Only living Legionella bacteria can cause illness.
Culture testing is currently underway at the Health Department to see if live Legionella bacteria were present when the samples were taken. The process can take up to two weeks.
None of the existing cases can be linked to Yankee Stadium. The New York City Department of Health has not requested that the Yankees cancel any of their matches this month.
The Public Health Message
There is no added danger from being inside any of the structures, officials said, and drinking tap water, showering, and using air conditioners in the affected neighborhoods all remain safe.
Public health officials are asking people who have lived, worked, or visited the area since late August to get checked by a doctor if they show any signs of illness, which include fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, or trouble breathing.
In recent days, community outreach has grown, with health workers handing out more than 1,100 informational flyers while reaching hundreds of residents during the ongoing investigation.
Sunday saw the city’s Health Department hold a virtual Town Hall, with an in-person meeting set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Metropolitan College in the Bronx.
Due to Legionella bacteria, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was previously told to take steps.
The Timeline Of Testing
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 10 | Investigation launched |
| Sept. 11 | 24 PCR tests conducted, including one at Yankee Stadium |
| Aug. 20 | Most recent monthly testing results provided to DOH, negative for Legionella |
| Aug. 26, Sept. 2, Sept 9 | Weekly water quality testing performed |
| Monday | Full remediation required |
The Testing Distinction
This kind of test finds evidence of Legionella bacteria DNA within a sample, yet it offers no way to tell if the bacteria are alive or dead. Nor can it prove that a cooling tower was the source of any exposure to the bacteria.
Only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness.
Results from the culture testing may not come for another two weeks. The process will reveal whether live Legionella bacteria were present at the time the samples were taken.
What Residents Should Know
Researchers are still looking into the cause of the outbreak. Culture testing results could take up to two weeks, which means the source of the outbreak is still unknown for now.
That the Metropolitan Museum of Art was previously told to act because of Legionella bacteria points to this not being a lone case. Tests have been run on cooling towers throughout the city, and ten of them have now been told to clean up.
The Yankees have worked alongside the investigation, supplying the Department of Health with regular testing results. According to their statement, the team has carried out weekly water quality and bacterial indicator testing over the last three years, with the most recent monthly test on Aug. 20 coming back negative for Legionella bacteria.
This month, the New York City Department of Health has made no request of the Yankees to delay their games. The source states that fact plainly, and it bears noting for anyone who plans to attend a game in the near future.
People living in the affected areas need to pay close attention to their health. If they notice fever, chills, cough, muscle aches or trouble breathing, they should get medical help right away. The Health Department is still working hard to reach out to residents, handing out leaflets and talking with people as the investigation keeps going on.
The situation is still changing. Culture testing will give us answers in the coming days, and the city will report its findings once those results are ready. In the meantime, the cluster has grown, one person has died, and investigators are still working on the case.
No request has been made of the Yankees to delay their games, and the stadium stays open. The positive test at Yankee Stadium puts the team under the probe, and the club is working closely with the city’s health officials throughout the investigation.
Legionella bacteria can travel through cooling towers, which is why regular testing matters for stopping outbreaks. The Yankees have checked their towers weekly for three years now, and their latest round of monthly testing came back clear. The Sept. 11 PCR test turned up small traces of DNA, though the culture testing still needs to show whether live bacteria were there.
In just a few days, the number of confirmed cases in the cluster has risen from five to nine. One person has died, and three others have been hospitalized, which marks a serious turn of events. The fact that a cooling tower at Yankee Stadium tested positive is bound to attract notice.
Investigators are still looking into the outbreak, with culture testing that could take up to two weeks to deliver results. The source of the problem has not yet been found.
Closely watching the situation, the city is taking steps to stop the disease from spreading further. Tests are being run on samples to see if live Legionella bacteria were present at the time they were taken.
City officials are responding to the outbreak with appropriate measures, and they regard it as a serious public health issue. The cause of the illness has yet to be determined, pending the outcome of culture testing. The investigation continues without a known source.
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