United States of America

New York City Orders 10 Bronx Cooling Towers Cleaned in Legionnaires Probe

Did New York's health system swiftly pinpoint the outbreak's source, or is a positive PCR test proof of nothing?

4 hours ago·Updated 2 hours ago

New York City Orders 10 Bronx Cooling Towers Cleaned in Legionnaires Probe

Story

Above: Exterior signage at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Sept. 12, 2024. Image credit: Luke Hales/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

The rapid turnaround from identifying another community cluster to potentially revealing its cause pending further tests demonstrates the tenacity and effectiveness of New York's public health system. Now, the cooling towers' operators must swiftly drain, scrub and disinfect the towers by Monday, or else they will face severe financial penalties.

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on X NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Narrative B

A positive PCR test detects Legionella DNA, dead or alive, and proves nothing about the source of the illness. Yankee Stadium's towers are tested weekly, reported monthly and came back negative for Legionella in August, with no case tied to the ballpark. Therefore, while live testing is conducted, it would be wise to avoid any premature speculation.

ABC7 New York