Yankee Stadium tower among 10 ordered cleaned as Bronx Legionnaires' cases rise

Key Points:

• The New York City Health Department has identified nine Legionnaires' disease cases in the South Bronx cluster, including one death and three hospitalizations, and ordered 10 cooling towers, including at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned after preliminary Legionella bacteria detection.
• Preliminary PCR tests found Legionella DNA in 10 cooling towers, but these tests cannot confirm if the bacteria were alive or the source of the outbreak; further culture testing is underway and may take up to two weeks.
• Yankee Stadium's cooling tower tested positive for trace amounts of Legionella DNA in recent PCR testing, but routine monthly tests have been negative, no cases have been linked to the stadium, and games have not been postponed.
• Health officials assure there is no increased risk from indoor environments or tap water in affected neighborhoods and urge residents to seek medical care if experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
• The Health Department is conducting community outreach with informational flyers and will hold virtual and in-person Town Halls to update the public on the investigation and response efforts.