Yankee Stadium cooling tower tests positive for Legionella bacteria, city says

People who attended a game or any other event at Yankee Stadium since late last month should watch for flu-like symptoms of the respiratory infection known as Legionnaires’ disease, which has already hospitalized several people and caused one death in a South Bronx outbreak, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Sunday.

Ten cooling towers in the Bronx have tested positive for the Legionella bacteria that causes the ailment, the health department said in a news release. The agency issued a health advisory for ZIP codes 10451, which includes Yankee Stadium, and 10456. Yankee Stadium, located at One E. 161st St., is listed as home to one of the cooling towers that tested positive, officials said.

"Anyone who lives, works, or has visited the area since late August and develops flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately," the health department said in a news release on Sunday.

The Yankees finished a three-game series Sunday at the Bronx ballpark against the Mets. The team finished August with three games at the stadium against the Houston Astros and four more against the Boston Red Sox.

What is Legionnaires’ disease?

Caused by the naturally occurring bacteria Legionella, the disease spreads to humans when they breathe in infected droplets, public health officials said. The illness is not transmitted from person to person.

The majority of people who come in contact with Legionella remain healthy, officials said. However, individuals — like those who smoke or have a weakened immune system — are more likely to become sick.

Symptoms of the disease generally appear within about two weeks of exposure and can include muscle aches, cough and chills, officials said.

So far, the South Bronx cluster has led to one death and nine diagnoses, officials said. Seven people were admitted to a hospital, and four have been released. One person who was diagnosed with the disease did not receive inpatient care.

Legionnaires’ disease and cooling towers

Cooling towers, hot tubs and ornamental fountains remain among key places for the spread of the Legionella bacteria, which thrives in warm water, public health officials have said. The 10 cooling towers associated with the South Bronx cluster near Yankee Stadium must be cleaned by Monday, city health officials said Sunday. The team is on the road until they return home Sept. 22 to end the regular season with three games against the Tampa Bay Rays and three with the Baltimore Orioles.

"Cooling towers, which release water mist into the outside air, have been identified as the source of previous community clusters of Legionnaires’ disease," the health department said.

In a statement late Sunday, the Yankees said the tank has been cleaned and disinfected.

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

An Upper East Side cluster this summer led to roughly 95 cases of Legionnaires’ disease and 11 deaths. Dozens of cooling towers in that portion of Manhattan tested positive for the bacteria.

After the Manhattan outbreak ended in July, the city said it has sought to speed up cooling-tower testing and enforce violations, officials said.

"Our response to the Upper East Side cluster was fast and aggressive, and we are building on what we learned to make our systems stronger, enforcement faster and public health response more transparent," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a Sept. 1 news release.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.