Deadly bacteria detected as NYC orders emergency cleaning of cooling towers

Health officials ordered the immediate remediation of 10 rooftop cooling towers in the South Bronx after preliminary testing detected Legionella bacteria amid a growing Legionnaires’ disease cluster that has sickened nine people and left one dead.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued orders to clean and disinfect the sites.

Among the affected structures are cooling towers at major hubs, including Yankee Stadium and Lincoln Hospital.

As public health workers work to clean the equipment, experts note that recurring outbreaks in these neighborhoods highlight deeper systemic vulnerabilities.

NYC LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE OUTBREAK KILLS FOURTH VICTIM, 76 CASES REPORTED "When we look at outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease, in New York City, we almost always see it in the Bronx or Harlem," Dr.

Tyler Evans, CEO of the Wellness Equity Alliance and former first chief medical officer for New York City, told Fox News Digital.

"A lot of times, we see risk of infections taking place in historically marginalized communities." The department identified the cluster following a surge in cases dating back to late August.

Tests confirmed traces of Legionella in 10 of 24 sampled towers, according to city health officials.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests return results quickly, but cannot distinguish between live and dead bacteria.

Culture tests to confirm live bacteria can take up to two weeks, prompting city health officials to order immediate cleaning out of caution.

Late-summer weather has compounded the issue.

High temperatures create ideal breeding grounds for bacteria inside industrial air-conditioning systems, which add water to the surrounding air, Evans noted.

HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES RISING WITH EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, RESEARCH SUGGESTS "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.

Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia , cannot be spread between people, nor is it contracted by drinking tap water, the expert noted.