Ten cooling towers in New York City, including one at Yankee Stadium, have tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The findings come as a cluster of nine cases and one death has been reported since late August.
Health officials stated it is unclear if the cooling towers that tested positive played a role in the current outbreak. The affected zip codes include 10451 and 10456, encompassing parts of the Morrisania and Melrose neighborhoods in the Bronx. Lincoln Hospital, which serves approximately 600,000 residents annually, is also among the locations with a positive test.
Spokespeople for NYC Health + Hospitals and the Yankees confirmed that the cooling towers at both Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital have been drained, cleaned, and disinfected. The Yankees organization also reported that its most recent Legionella test on August 20 was negative and that no cases in the current cluster have been associated with the stadium.
Health Commissioner Alister Martin advised that being inside a building with a cooling tower that tested positive does not expose individuals to the tower's water, explaining that the air quality within the building remains unaffected. He urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or muscle aches, who has lived, worked, or visited the affected areas since late August, to seek immediate medical attention.
The positive tests were part of an investigation involving samples from 24 cooling towers. Legionnaires' disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrives in warm, damp environments and can become airborne in water vapor. Common sources include air conditioning systems, hot tubs, and plumbing systems in large buildings. The disease is a respiratory illness and does not spread from person to person. Symptoms can include headache, muscle aches, fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia and sepsis. Antibiotics are used for treatment, with effectiveness highest in the early stages.
Individuals over 50, smokers, those with chronic lung disease, or weakened immune systems are at higher risk. Nationwide, Legionnaires' disease cases have increased significantly over the past two decades, with New York City recording between 300 and 600 cases annually. The city has experienced other Legionnaires' outbreaks, including a cluster in Manhattan's Upper East Side earlier this summer that resulted in 94 cases and 11 deaths, and an outbreak in Harlem in August of the previous year that caused seven deaths and sickened 114 people.