Yankee Stadium listed in Legionnaires cluster: Officials

NEW YORK CITY ( WPIX ) — A cooling tower at Yankee Stadium is among 10 towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria on Sunday as officials investigate an outbreak in the South Bronx .

The New York City Department of Health said all cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella have been ordered to be cleaned and disinfected by Monday.

Officials said polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing can detect the presence of Legionella but cannot show whether the bacteria are alive and does not confirm a cooling tower as the source of exposure. They also reiterated that only live Legionella can cause illness.

Officials urged anyone who lives, works or has visited the affected area since late August and develops flu‑like symptoms to contact a health care provider immediately.

They also said it is safe to shower, drink tap water and use air conditioners in the affected ZIP codes. Officials noted there is no additional risk from being inside any of the 10 buildings.

There will be an in-person town hall for residents to sit down with public health officials on Tuesday at 6 p.m at Metropolitan College in the Bronx.

One person has died in connection with the South Bronx outbreak, and five cases have been confirmed, according to officials.

On the Upper East Side, a Legionnaires’ cluster claimed nine lives and led to more than 90 confirmed cases, with the outbreak first reported at the beginning of July.

Yankee Stadium released the following statement on Sunday night:

In 2024, the Yankees installed new, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency chiller towers at Yankee Stadium, which have undergone water quality and bacteriological indicator testing on a weekly basis over the last three years. In accordance with DOH regulations, Yankee Stadium provides these results to the DOH on a monthly basis. In the most recent monthly testing on Aug. 20, which was provided to the Department of Health, results were negative for Legionella bacteria. Subsequent to that test, weekly water quality and bacteriological indicator testing was performed on Aug. 26, Sept. 2 and Sept. 9. Due to the recent community cluster of Legionella bacteria in the Melrose and Morrisania areas of the Bronx (zip codes 10451 and 10456) last week, the NYC Dept. of Health conducted 24 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests of cooling towers in the area, including one at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11. Yankee Stadium tested positive for trace amounts of Legionella bacteria and was one of 10 cooling towers in the Bronx that tested positive. A PCR test, which is different from the independent monthly testing Yankee Stadium regularly undertakes, can detect the presence of Legionella bacteria DNA but cannot determine whether the bacteria are alive or dead and does not confirm that a cooling tower is the source of exposure. Only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness. No current cases have been associated with Yankee Stadium. Additionally, the New York City Department of Health has not at any point this month asked us to postpone our games. The Health Department is now conducting culture testing to determine whether live Legionella bacteria were present when the samples were collected. Culture results can take up to two weeks. To reduce the risk of ongoing exposure while culture testing continues, the Health Department mandated that all cooling towers with a positive PCR result conduct a full hyperhalogenation, including draining, cleaning, and disinfection. Immediate action was taken, and this was completed at Yankee Stadium earlier this morning (Sunday). To exercise an abundance of caution, those who currently live, work or have visited the two ZIP codes since late August and are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, should contact a healthcare provider immediately. Please note that Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics when caught early.

In 2024, the Yankees installed new, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency chiller towers at Yankee Stadium, which have undergone water quality and bacteriological indicator testing on a weekly basis over the last three years.

In accordance with DOH regulations, Yankee Stadium provides these results to the DOH on a monthly basis. In the most recent monthly testing on Aug. 20, which was provided to the Department of Health, results were negative for Legionella bacteria. Subsequent to that test, weekly water quality and bacteriological indicator testing was performed on Aug. 26, Sept. 2 and Sept. 9.

Due to the recent community cluster of Legionella bacteria in the Melrose and Morrisania areas of the Bronx (zip codes 10451 and 10456) last week, the NYC Dept. of Health conducted 24 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests of cooling towers in the area, including one at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11. Yankee Stadium tested positive for trace amounts of Legionella bacteria and was one of 10 cooling towers in the Bronx that tested positive.

A PCR test, which is different from the independent monthly testing Yankee Stadium regularly undertakes, can detect the presence of Legionella bacteria DNA but cannot determine whether the bacteria are alive or dead and does not confirm that a cooling tower is the source of exposure. Only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness.

No current cases have been associated with Yankee Stadium. Additionally, the New York City Department of Health has not at any point this month asked us to postpone our games.

The Health Department is now conducting culture testing to determine whether live Legionella bacteria were present when the samples were collected. Culture results can take up to two weeks.

To reduce the risk of ongoing exposure while culture testing continues, the Health Department mandated that all cooling towers with a positive PCR result conduct a full hyperhalogenation, including draining, cleaning, and disinfection.

Immediate action was taken, and this was completed at Yankee Stadium earlier this morning (Sunday).

To exercise an abundance of caution, those who currently live, work or have visited the two ZIP codes since late August and are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, should contact a healthcare provider immediately.

Please note that Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics when caught early.