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NewsWPLG Local 10 – Main FeedSeptember 14, 2026Miami-Dade County

New York City Health Department orders cleaning of cooling towers after Legionella bacteria detected near Yankee Stadium

Photo: WPLG Local 10 – Main Feed

New York City health officials ordered the owners of 10 Bronx cooling towers, including one at Yankee Stadium, to clean and disinfect them by Monday following the detection of Legionella bacteria amid a local disease cluster. Ten people have tested positive for Legionnaires' disease in the area, resulting in one death and three hospitalizations, though the Yankees stated that no current cases have been linked to the stadium. City health officials are conducting further tests to determine if the bacteria found in the towers are live.

Public HealthDisease OutbreakInfrastructureCity Administration
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Why It Matters

Residents living or working in the Melrose and Morrisania sections of the Bronx who have visited the area since late August are advised to contact a healthcare provider immediately if they experience flu-like symptoms.

Key Facts

  • Health officials found bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease in a Yankee Stadium cooling tower and nine other towers in the Bronx.
  • Ten people have tested positive for the disease in the area, resulting in one death and three hospitalizations.
  • The New York City Health Department ordered owners of the 10 positive towers to clean and disinfect them by Monday.
  • The Yankees stated that the stadium tower that tested positive was drained and cleaned Sunday morning and that no current cases are linked to the stadium.
  • City health officials are performing culture tests on samples from the 10 towers, which can take up to two weeks to confirm if the bacteria are live.
  • The Yankees reported that new cooling towers were installed in 2024, tested weekly, and an Aug. 20 test was negative for Legionella.
  • Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia that kills about 10% of patients and is contracted by inhaling contaminated water droplets from warm water systems.
  • An earlier summer outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side killed 11 people among more than 90 testing positive, and a Harlem outbreak occurred last year.

Who's Mentioned

locationMelrose“Section of the Bronx where residents/workers are advised to monitor for symptoms”OrganizationU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention“Federal agency providing statistics on Legionnaires' disease mortality”locationSouth Bronx“Area where health officials are investigating a community cluster”PersonZohran Mamdani“New York City Mayor”locationManhattan“Borough where an earlier summer outbreak occurred”locationYankee Stadium“Stadium in the Bronx where a cooling tower tested positive for bacteria”OrganizationNew York Yankees“Baseball team whose stadium cooling tower tested positive for bacteria”locationUpper East Side“Neighborhood in Manhattan with an earlier outbreak”locationBronx“Borough where the Legionella bacteria and outbreak cluster were identified”locationHarlem“Neighborhood with a previous year outbreak”locationMorrisania“Section of the Bronx where residents/workers are advised to monitor for symptoms”OrganizationNew York City Health Department“Local health agency investigating the outbreak and ordering cooling tower cleani”