NYC Health has confirmed live Legionella bacteria in seven cooling towers in the South Bronx as it continues investigating the latest cluster of Legionnaires’ disease that has sickened 22 people and killed two.
Initial PCR testing on Sept. 13 detected Legionella bacteria in 10 cooling towers across ZIP codes 10451 and 10456. Subsequent culture testing confirmed that seven of those towers contained live Legionella bacteria at the time of sampling. Only live Legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease.
The cooling towers identified in the investigation include towers at Yankee Stadium, Boricua College and Lincoln Hospital. The Health Department ordered all 10 towers with positive PCR results to be cleaned and disinfected by Sept. 14.
All seven towers where live bacteria were later confirmed have already been cleaned and disinfected, the Health Department said.
Additional culture testing is underway, and the department said it will update its list of cooling towers with positive results daily.
“We are moving decisively and deliberately to protect New Yorkers from this Legionnaires’ disease cluster in the South Bronx,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin.
“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,”
As of Sept. 22, 22 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in connection with the South Bronx cluster. Three people remain hospitalized with the serious form of pneumonia, 15 have been discharged and two people have died.
“We will continue to move with urgency and keep New Yorkers informed as this investigation unfolds,” Martin said.
The Health Department expanded its community outreach to ZIP codes 10455 and 10459 on Sept. 20 after identifying cases near the original area of investigation. The department is advising anyone who lives in, works in or recently visited ZIP codes 10451, 10455, 10456 or 10459 to seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can appear up to 14 days after exposure.
Culture testing can take up to two weeks because samples must be incubated to determine whether live bacteria grow. Additional cooling towers could therefore be identified as having live Legionella as testing continues.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
