Yankee Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska Hospital cooling towers test positive for Legionella as outbreak kills 1, sickens 9
10 cooling towers in the South Bronx, including those at Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital, have tested positive for Legionella bacteria as the Health Department investigates the source of an outbreak that has killed one person and sickened nine others.
Cases and health response
11, nine people have been diagnosed with the disease in connection with the cluster.
Three people are currently hospitalized, four have been discharged, and one person has died.
The initial PCR testing detected the presence of Legionella bacteria DNA but cannot determine whether the bacteria are alive or dead.
The Health Department is conducting culture testing to determine whether live Legionella bacteria were present when the samples were collected.
Those results can take up to two weeks. Cooling towers release water mist into the air and are used to expel heat from air-conditioning systems.
Health investigation
24 cooling towers were tested in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456 as part of the investigation and 10 towers that tested positive were ordered to be cleaned and disinfected by Sept.
14. The department launched its investigation Sept. 10 after identifying a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases in Melrose and Morrisania. As of Sept.
