New York Yankees say Legionella bacteria found in stadium cooling tower not linked to outbreak

NEW YORK — Bacteria that cause potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease were found in a Yankee Stadium cooling tower — one of 10 such towers in the Bronx that tested positive amid several reported cases of the illness including one death, New York City health officials said. The city’s Health Department said Sunday that more tests were being done to determine whether the Legionella bacteria in the towers was live, and the Yankees said none of the current Legionnaires’ disease cases in the area has been linked to the stadium. Only live bacteria can cause the disease, which is a form of pneumonia. The initial testing performed on the 10 towers last week found traces of living or dead bacteria. Health officials said they are investigating a likely community cluster of Legionnaires’ in the South Bronx, where Yankee Stadium is located.