Deadly bacteria detected as NYC orders emergency cleaning of cooling towers
New York City orders cleanup of 10 South Bronx cooling towers amid Legionnaires’ disease cluster
NEW YORK — New York City health officials have ordered immediate cleaning and disinfection of 10 rooftop cooling towers in the South Bronx after preliminary testing found Legionella bacteria as investigators track a growing Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has resulted in nine illnesses, including one death.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued the orders after testing 24 cooling towers found traces of Legionella at 10 sites. The affected structures include cooling towers at major locations, including Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital.
The city moved quickly because PCR testing can return results fast, but it cannot determine whether detected Legionella is live or dead. Culture tests that can confirm live bacteria can take up to two weeks, leading officials to order prompt cleaning and disinfection as a precaution.
The cluster was identified after a rise in cases dating back to late August. Health officials are asking people who lived in, worked in or visited ZIP codes 10451 and 10456 since late August to watch for symptoms.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia linked to Legionella exposure. The illness is not spread from person to person and is not contracted by drinking tap water. Most healthy people do not become ill after exposure, but the disease can be serious for older adults and people with certain underlying health conditions.
Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO of the Wellness Equity Alliance and a former first chief medical officer for New York City, said the people most likely to be concerned are adults 65 and older and people with conditions such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or compromised immune systems.
Evans said warm weather can worsen the risk because cooling towers are part of industrial air-conditioning systems that release water into the surrounding air. High temperatures can create favorable conditions for bacteria and may increase the chance that bacteria become vaporized and inhaled.
Officials said people should watch for high fevers, severe shortness of breath, chest pain and coughing up bloody mucus. Evans said early medical care is important because Legionnaires’ disease is treatable with standard antibiotics when identified promptly.
The outbreak has also raised questions about long-term prevention in neighborhoods that have seen repeated Legionnaires’ disease clusters. Evans said New York City outbreaks often occur in the Bronx or Harlem.
“When we look at outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease, in New York City, we almost always see it in the Bronx or Harlem,” Evans said. He added that infection risk often falls in historically marginalized communities.
Evans said the city could test cooling towers more regularly during hotter periods, but expanded monitoring would require sustained public investment.