NYC Health Officials Order Cleaning of 10 Bronx Cooling Towers Amidst Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak
The New York City Department of Health has mandated the cleaning and disinfection of ten cooling towers in the Bronx following a cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases. These towers, located in zip codes 10451 and 10456, tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Notable locations with affected cooling towers include Yankee Stadium, Boricua College's Bronx campus, a Morrisania dialysis center, and a PureGym. This action comes after preliminary testing detected traces of the bacteria, prompting an investigation into the source of the outbreak concentrated in the Melrose and Morrisania sections of the borough. The cluster has resulted in one fatality and nine reported cases. City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin stated that building owners found non-compliant with regulations will face consequences. All ten cooling towers are required to complete remediation by Monday. An in-person town hall is scheduled for Tuesday at Metropolitan College in the Bronx for community members to address concerns with healt...
