The city’s Health Department Sunday identified 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx where Legionella bacteria was detected and ordered them to be cleaned and disinfected by Monday.
The towers are in the 10451 and 10456 ZIP codes, covering the Melrose and Morrisania neighborhoods.
The cooling tower at Yankee Stadium was identified as one of the impacted towers.
Baseball fans who attended the Subway Series over the weekend said there was no mention before or during the game that a cooling tower inside the stadium had tested positive for Legionella bacteria.
Martha Nunez and her son-in-law, Christian Maldonado, were among those at the stadium Sunday.
“It is concerning, and there was nothing said about it this morning, or even when we got to the stadium,” Nunez said. “There was no mention about it.”
“They definitely should have let people know. That’s definitely not, not good,” Maldonado said.
So far, officials say nine people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in connection with the latest cluster. One person has died, while three others are currently hospitalized.
“This is a bacteria that is everywhere,” Dr. Alister Martin, commissioner for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said.
“It’s commonly found in the environment, and unfortunately, based on the technology and science that we have right now, we cannot eradicate this bacteria, we cannot get rid of this bacteria fully,” Martin added.
In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Yankees organization said its state-of-the-art chiller towers, installed in 2024, have been tested weekly by an independent agency over the past three years.
“I’m hopeful everything will be OK,” Nunez said. “Because, you know, we had a full stadium, but I think there should be more clear communication and honest.”
“At least let them know they’re working on it,” Maldonado said. “Acknowledge it. That’s all we ask, like acknowledge it, let people know, and like, ‘We’re working on it. Don’t worry about it,’ something.”
The Yankees organization said the towers were drained, cleaned and disinfected Sunday morning.
The organization also said no current cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been associated with Yankee Stadium, adding that the city’s Health Department has not at any point asked for a game to be postponed.
Martin took part in a virtual town hall meeting Sunday, telling residents it is safe to shower, drink tap water and use air conditioners in the affected ZIP codes.
He also said that as additional testing continues, those who visited the affected area since late August and develop flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately.
“Most important thing to know is to continue to monitor yourself for symptoms,” Martin said. “If you have things like cough, fever, shortness of breath, that is a sign to go see a doctor and to not delay.”
The cluster of Legionnaires disease in Morrisania and Melrose follows an outbreak on the Upper East Side in July, which was linked to 11 deaths.
Morrisania, meanwhile, was also part of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in May 2022 that led to two deaths and 28 hospitalizations.
The city’s Health Department said additional community engagement is scheduled for Tuesday, with an in-person town hall meeting scheduled to start at 6 p.m.