Yankee Stadium cooling tower tests positive for Legionella, NYC says

Key Points:

• A cooling tower at Yankee Stadium is among 10 in the South Bronx that preliminarily tested positive for Legionella bacteria amid an outbreak that has caused one death and eight illnesses, prompting the city to order immediate cleaning and disinfection.
• The initial PCR tests detected Legionella DNA but cannot confirm if the bacteria are alive; further culture testing is underway to determine the presence of live bacteria in the towers.
• Health officials emphasized that being inside buildings with positive-test cooling towers does not expose individuals to the bacteria through indoor air, and the disease is treatable with symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
• The outbreak has affected nine people in the 10451 and 10456 ZIP codes, with three hospitalized and no pediatric cases reported; officials urge anyone with flu-like symptoms who has been in the area since late August to seek medical care.
• This is the city’s second major Legionnaires’ outbreak this summer, following a deadly Upper East Side cluster in July, and officials confirmed it remains safe to shower, drink tap water, and use air conditioners in the affected neighborhoods.