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NYC Orders Emergency Cleaning of Cooling Towers Amid Legionella Bacteria Outbreak
Confirmed
In Short: City health officials have ordered 10 cooling towers, including those at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned and disinfected after preliminary testing detected Legionella bacteria, amid a growing Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has sickened nine people and left one dead.
The city health department has ordered 10 cooling towers, including those at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned and disinfected after preliminary testing detected Legionella bacteria. Among the affected structures are cooling towers at major hubs, including Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital. Health officials ordered the immediate remediation of these sites after tests confirmed traces of Legionella in 10 of 24 sampled towers.
In response to the growing Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has sickened nine people and left one dead, the Health Department is taking swift action. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was previously ordered to take action due to Legionella bacteria, and the Department of Health tested 24 cooling towers after launching the investigation on September 20, with results being negative for Legionella bacteria.
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Tyler Evans explains that high temperatures create ideal breeding grounds for bacteria inside industrial air-conditioning systems, which add water to the surrounding air. 'Record-breaking temperatures lead to accelerating the risk of the bacteria basically cooking, getting out to become vaporized, and then producing exposure to other people,' he said. Dr. Evans also noted that older adults and those with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk.
Health officials mandated immediate cleanings while awaiting culture test results, as preliminary PCR testing quickly confirmed bacterial DNA but could not distinguish between live and dead bacteria. 'In terms of people... to be concerned about, it's really older adults — typically 65 and older — or people living with comorbid conditions,' Evans said, pointing to underlying factors like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or compromised immune systems.
What's confirmed
- The city health department has ordered 10 cooling towers, including those at Yankee Stadium, to be cleaned and disinfected after preliminary testing detected Legionella bacteria. Among the affected structures are cooling towers at major hubs, including Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital. Health officials ordered the immediate remediation of these sites after tests confirmed traces of Legionella in 10 of 24 sampled towers.
- In response to the growing Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has sickened nine people and left one dead, the Health Department is taking swift action. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was previously ordered to take action due to Legionella bacteria, and the Department of Health tested 24 cooling towers after launching the investigation on September 20, with results being negative for Legionella bacteria.
- Infectious diseases expert Dr. Tyler Evans explains that high temperatures create ideal breeding grounds for bacteria inside industrial air-conditioning systems, which add water to the surrounding air. 'Record-breaking temperatures lead to accelerating the risk of the bacteria basically cooking, getting out to become vaporized, and then producing exposure to other people,' he said. Dr. Evans also noted that older adults and those with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk.
- Health officials mandated immediate cleanings while awaiting culture test results, as preliminary PCR testing quickly confirmed bacterial DNA but could not distinguish between live and dead bacteria. 'In terms of people... to be concerned about, it's really older adults — typically 65 and older — or people living with comorbid conditions,' Evans said, pointing to underlying factors like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or compromised immune systems.
What's still developing
- As investigators work to identify the source of the outbreak, the city has ordered 10 cooling towers to undergo full remediation, including draining, cleaning and disinfection, by Monday.
- The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued orders to clean and disinfect the sites.
- "Infections fall into different buckets — bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites," he said.