Legionella detected in Yankee Stadium cooling tower, NYC Health says
Yankee Stadium cooling tower tests positive for Legionella bacteria
NYC health officials ordered 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx, including one at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned and disinfected after testing positive for Legionella bacteria. FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso reports.
BRONX - The New York City Health Department has ordered 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx, including one at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned and disinfected following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the area, city health officials announced Sunday.
The remediation order affecting building cooling systems in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, located in the Melrose and Morrisania neighborhoods, must be completed by Monday.
NYC officials facing scrutiny over Legionnaires' response
The New York City Council held an oversight hearing concerning the city's response to the Legionnaires' disease outbreak on the Upper East Side. FOX 5 N.Y.'s Arthur Chi'en has more.
9 people diagnosed so far
What we know:
As of Saturday, nine people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease linked to the cluster, according to officials. Three individuals remain hospitalized, four have been discharged, one did not require hospitalization and one person has died.
Preliminary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing identified Legionella bacteria DNA in 10 of the 24 cooling towers sampled by health inspectors, officials said Sunday. Because PCR tests do not differentiate between live and dead bacteria, the city is conducting culture tests to determine if active bacteria are present.
Featured
1 dead in connection with new cluster of Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx
One person has died in connection with a cluster of Legionnaires' disease after five were diagnosed with it in the Bronx.
Culture results can take up to two weeks to complete, prompting officials to mandate full cleaning, draining and disinfection by Monday to prevent potential exposure.
Positive Legionella test locations
Big picture view:
The 10 cooling towers subject to the remediation order are located at:
- 820 Concourse Village West
- 234 E. 149th St. (Lincoln Hospital)
- 1 E. 161st St. (Yankee Stadium)
- 470 E. 161st St.
- 1265 Franklin Ave.
- 567 Melrose Ave.
- 3339 Park Ave.
- 1160 Teller Ave. (Morrisania Dialysis Center)
- 890 Washington Ave. (Boricua College)
- 1085 Washington Ave.
Health officials noted that eight of the affected locations complied with the city's 31-day testing requirement established in May, while the sites at 820 Concourse Village West and 1265 Franklin Ave. failed to provide the required testing information.
Yankees issue statement
What they're saying:
The New York Yankees issued a statement Sunday indicating the stadium installed state-of-the-art cooling towers in 2024 that are tested for Legionella bacteria on a monthly basis.
"No current cases have been associated with Yankee Stadium. Additionally, the New York City Department of Health has not, at any point this month, asked us to postpone our games," the Yankees said.
Tests were negative last month, but positive when tested last Friday, the team said.
What is Legionnaires' disease?
Dig deeper:
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by breathing in mist containing live Legionella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is not spread person-to-person.
Officials stated that tap water, showers, air conditioners and the interiors of the affected buildings remain safe to use.
What you can do:
Officials also said Sunday that individuals who have lived in, worked in or visited the South Bronx area since late August and experienced flu-like symptoms are advised to seek immediate medical care.
The Source: Information from the New York City Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are included in this report, in addition to a statement from the New York Yankees.