Bronx cooling towers test positive for live Legionella

The city’s Health Department has confirmed live Legionella bacteria in seven cooling towers in the South Bronx, as officials continue to investigate a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease.

The seven towers were among 10 that initially tested positive for Legionella through PCR testing. All 10 towers have been cleaned and disinfected following the initial results, the DOH said.

The seven cooling towers confirmed to have contained live Legionella are located at:

567 Melrose Ave.
3339 Park Ave.
820 Concourse Village West
470 E. 161st St.
890 Washington Ave.
1160 Teller Ave.
1265 Franklin Ave.

The Health Department said it is awaiting culture results for three cooling towers that tested positive in a PCR test, including two located at Yankee Stadium and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. The third is located at 1085 Washington Ave.

The initial PCR tests were able to detect Legionella DNA but cannot determine if the bacteria is alive or dead, according to the Health Department. Only live Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease.

“We are moving decisively and deliberately to protect New Yorkers from this Legionnaires’ disease cluster in the South Bronx. We’ve taken an aggressive response, and every cooling towers with a positive culture test so far was cleaned and disinfected more than a week ago,” NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said in a statement.

He added that community health workers have been conducting outreach efforts to inform residents of the ongoing testing and the risks of the disease.

“We will continue to move with urgency and keep New Yorkers informed as this investigation unfolds,” Martin said.

As of Wednesday, 23 people have tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease in connection with the South Bronx cluster, according to the DOH. Three people remain hospitalized, 15 have been discharged, three did not require hospitalization and two people have died.

Health officials are advising anyone who lives in, works in or has recently visited ZIP codes 10451, 10455, 10456 or 10459 to seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Symptoms can develop up to 14 days after exposure.

The South Bronx cluster comes after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease on Manhattan’s Upper East Side earlier this summer that was linked to 11 deaths.