Bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease were found in a Yankee Stadium cooling tower, along with many other towers throughout the Bronx, N.Y., as several cases of Legionnaires have been reported throughout the area.
According to ESPN, Legionnaires’ disease is a fatal form of pneumonia, and only live bacteria can cause the disease. Additional testing is being conducted to determine if the bacteria in the Yankees’ tower was live.
While testing is ongoing, the Yankees said that none of the currently reported cases can be tied back to the stadium. Despite the assurances, fans still expressed concern about water and air conditioning at the ballpark, as water from the cooling towers could impact HVAC and running water.
"No current cases have been associated with Yankee Stadium," Yankees officials said. "Additionally, the New York City Department of Health has not at any point this month asked us to postpone our games."
Following the discovery, the Yankees drained the cooling tower, which was erected in 2024, and disinfected it. The cooling towers were meant to be state-of-the-art, and weekly testing has been conducted in the past two years to monitor water quality.
The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease grows in warm water and spreads easily in building cooling equipment.
ABC 7 NY reported a statement by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying, "I want to assure New Yorkers we are moving aggressively to contain the spread.” He later added, "This has been an issue that New Yorkers have had to deal with for far too many years, and we are looking to develop any kind of tool that can help to ensure that Legionnaires' is something that we're able to combat."
