NEW YORK, September 15, 2026 — Three days after announcing that a possible Legionnaires’ disease cluster was found in the South Bronx, the New York City Department of Health announced that the Legionella bacteria was found in cooling towers at Yankee Stadium.

On September 10, the city’s Health Department announced that the agency is investigating a possible cluster of Legionnaires’ in parts of Melrose (ZIP code 10451) and Morrisania (ZIP code 19456). As of September 13, one person has died, 10 people have been infected with the disease, eight have been hospitalized and five were discharged. Three days later, the agency said that the bacteria was found in the stadium’s cooling towers.

The city urged those who were at the stadium in late August to be checked for Legionnaires’ disease. The team said they had the towers drained and cleaned on September 13 just before the start of their game against the New York Mets. According to the Yankees, this is not connected to the recent outbreak in the South Bronx and the city has not asked them to postpone any upcoming games.

This outbreak comes after eleven people died and 95 people were sickened from a Legionnaires’ cluster in the Upper East Side, traces of the Legionella bacteria were detected at The High Line Hotel in Chelsea and two residents at the Carnegie East House, an assisted living facility in Yorkville, contracted the disease.

This is also not the first time that the Bronx has been the site of an outbreak. In 2015, an outbreak caused by the cooling towers at the Opera House Hotel sickened over 100 people, 12 of whom died. Attorney Ronald J. Katter filed a lawsuit against the hotel and the hotel’s owners on behalf of a security guard who worked at another building and contracted the disease. There were also outbreaks in the Highbridge section in 2022 and in Co-op City in 2024.

“Despite legislation on cracking down on Legionnaires’ disease, the city still has more work to do,” Katter says. “Just because an outbreak is declared over in one part in the city, that doesn’t mean an outbreak will happen anywhere else. The city can’t just talk about it; they have to act aggressively on this ongoing health crisis.”

Katter is available for interviews about the South Bronx Legionella discovery, the risks posed to residents of apartment buildings and senior housing, building owners’ responsibilities, cooling tower safety, and what residents should do if they believe they have been exposed to Legionella.

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Media Resource: Ronald J. Katter, "The Legionnaires' Lawyer"
Since 2015, attorney Ronald J, Katter has been at the forefront of New York City’s Legionnaires’ disease crisis, recovering millions of dollars for dozens of individuals sickened by preventable outbreaks. As a trusted media contributor, he regularly provides live commentary and sharp legal analysis on complex public health litigation for The New York Times, ABC, CBS, WPIX, 1010 WINS, and the New York Post.

On-Call for Breaking News: Mr. Katter is available on short notice for in-person, remote broadcast, or telephone interviews regarding current and ongoing New York City outbreaks.

For more information, visit https://www.katterlaw.com.