{"id":344441,"date":"2026-09-11T23:02:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/344441\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T23:02:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T23:02:53","slug":"legionnaires-disease-kills-one-in-the-bronx-after-deadly-manhattan-outbreaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/344441\/","title":{"rendered":"Legionnaires\u2019 Disease Kills One in The Bronx After Deadly Manhattan Outbreaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

A second deadly cluster of Legionnaires\u2019 disease<\/a>\u00a0this year has been identified in the South Bronx, as a review of records by The City Reporter indicates several buildings in the affected area were not in compliance with required testing of cooling towers for the Legionella bacteria.<\/p>\n

The emergence of this new outbreak comes after Legionnaires\u2019 killed 11 people on the Upper East Side this summer and seven in Harlem last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of Friday afternoon, the Department of Health<\/a> and Mental Hygiene had identified five patients diagnosed with Legionnaire\u2019s disease \u2014 including one who has died \u2014 within the 10451 and 10456 zip codes in the Melrose and Morrisania neighborhoods of The Bronx<\/a> around Yankee Stadium, which is hosting the Mets this weekend for a three-game series that includes Friday\u2019s 9\/11 memorial game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAny New Yorkers who currently live or work in this area or people who have visited the area since late August and are experiencing flu-like symptoms<\/a>, such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, should contact a healthcare provider immediately,\u201d the department said in an announcement.<\/p>\n

\"152Eleven people died in an outbreak of Legionnaires\u2019 disease on the Upper East Side of Manhattan this summer. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n

On Friday, Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin and outreach staff canvassed<\/a> the two zip codes in the South Bronx where the agency has detected cases of Legionnaires\u2019 disease looking for residents suffering from fever, aches, or chills. The agency has scheduled a virtual town hall<\/a> for South Bronx residents on Sunday at 3pm.<\/p>\n

But commuters, parents with their schoolchildren, street vendors and shoppers along Third Avenue in the South Bronx who spoke with The City Reporter Friday afternoon were unaware that the illness had been detected in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Outside Lincoln Hospital, a worker who declined to provide his name shared only that he knew that \u201cit\u2019s in The Bronx \u2014 but not here,\u201d he said, referring to the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This summer health officials flagged 94 Legionnaires cases in three Upper East Side zip codes, triggering a massive and ongoing investigation to discover the source of the bacteria, which is spread through misting water, often emanating from cooling towers that sit atop buildings across the city.<\/p>\n

MORE: Council Grills Mamdani Health Team Over Deadly UES Legionnaires\u2019 Outbreak<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Upper East Side outbreak, Health Department records analyzed by The City Reporter revealed hundreds of building owners<\/a> were not in compliance with new city regulations requiring testing of cooling towers every 30 days. The department initiated a crackdown on non-compliance, urging property owners to make sure all required testing is performed and reported as required.<\/p>\n

The City Reporter\u2019s review of records showed most of the owners of buildings within the South Bronx targeted zip codes were in compliance, turning over required water sample tests to the Health Department within the last 30 days.<\/p>\n

But the records also indicated five properties were not in compliance, including two \u2014 a commercial building at 1332 Fulton Ave. that houses a day care center and Montessori school \u2014 and a 136-unit 17-story apartment building at 810 River Ave. where there was no record of prior testing on file as required.<\/p>\n

In two more cases, a five-story commercial building that houses the Bronx Social Security office at 820 Concourse Village West and a building housing Regal Cinemas at 214 E. 161st St. were last tested June 30, putting them in violation of the 30 day rule. Another building at 1265 Franklin Ave. that houses a BronxCare Comprehensive Psychiatric Clinic (CPEP) was last tested Aug. 4 \u2014 37 days ago.<\/p>\n

MORE: No Showers, but Tenants at Legionella-Affected East Village Complex Are Steamed<\/a><\/p>\n

In response to questions, the Health Department said Friday approximately 25% of the 20 cooling towers it had tested were not in compliance with the 30-day testing rule. As of Thursday, 82% of cooling towers citywide were in compliance with the monthly sampling, testing, and reporting requirements that went into effect on May 8th.<\/p>\n

Since the new rule went into effect, the department has conducted more than 900 cooling tower inspections citywide and issued violations that have resulted in more than $111,000 in fines paid by owners as of last week.<\/p>\n

In response to the Upper East Side cluster, the Health Department this summer hit a number of building owners in the targeted zip codes there with violations for non-compliance with the 30-day water test rule.<\/p>\n

On Friday the department was moving to discover the source of the bacteria and had obtained water samples from \u201capproximately 20\u201d cooling towers in the two zip codes. The samples were submitted to the department\u2019s public health lab to check for the presence of Legionella. Spokesperson William Fowler said they would release the results as soon as they were available and would be checking the property owners\u2019 compliance with testing requirement rules.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny cooling tower that tests positive will be directed to undergo full cleaning and disinfection immediately,\u201d Commissioner Martin said.<\/p>\n

The Legionella bacteria is found in warm water and is spread by breathing in water mist. Legionnaire\u2019s disease is a type of pneumonia that is particularly dangerous to anyone over 50, smokers and individuals with underlying health conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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