Yankee Stadium cooling tower tests positive for Legionella bacteria

Key Points:

• One of 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx testing positive for Legionella bacteria is located at Yankee Stadium, prompting orders for cleaning and disinfection by September 14 as part of an ongoing investigation into a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.
• The New York City Health Department is conducting further culture testing to determine if live Legionella bacteria are present in these towers, as PCR tests detect bacterial DNA but cannot confirm if bacteria are alive and infectious.
• The New York Yankees confirmed "trace amounts" of Legionella were found via PCR testing in their cooling tower, but stated that regular testing had been negative and a full remediation was completed promptly.
• Health officials advise anyone in the affected Bronx areas experiencing flu-like symptoms since late August to seek medical attention, while noting no cases have been linked to Yankee Stadium or caused game disruptions.
• The current South Bronx outbreak has resulted in one death and nine infections, following a separate, larger Legionnaires’ outbreak in Manhattan’s Upper East Side this summer that caused 11 deaths and over 90 infections.