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5 Bronx buildings had no recent record of monthly testing before Legionnaires’ outbreak
By
Joe Hong
Published Sep 11, 2026
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Ward DeWitt/Getty Images
By
Joe Hong
Published Sep 11, 2026
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Gothamist has identified five buildings that did not submit proof of bacterial testing to the city’s health department in the weeks leading up to the latest Legionnaires’ outbreak, this time in the South Bronx.
As of June 17, health officials had inspected 82% of the cooling towers in the affected area in the past year, according to the most recently available data
The outbreak is the second this summer and has so far killed one person. An outbreak on the Upper East Side that started in July has killed 11 people as of late August.
According to a Gothamist analysis, there are 38 active cooling towers in the two Bronx ZIP codes identified by the health department as being affected by the current outbreak. The towers are spread across 26 buildings, according to city records.
All but six of the 38 cooling towers had reported test results for Legionella bacteria in the past month, as required by city law. None of the building owners or managers immediately responded to requests for comment. There is no indication so far that any of the buildings is the source of the outbreak. Some of the cooling towers may not have been active this summer:
- A building at 820 Concourse Village West has two cooling towers. The building owner last reported monthly test results on June 30, according to publicly available data. The building contains a U.S. Social Security Administration office.
- Concourse Plaza, an adjacent building at 214 E 161st St. that houses a movie theater, restaurants and retailers, has one cooling tower. Its most recent monthly testing record was also last submitted on June 30, according to city data.
- A cooling tower atop a parking garage at 810 River Ave. had no record of Legionella testing in city data, but it was inspected by the city last August.
- The cooling tower on top of a day care center at 1332 Fulton Ave. also had no record of bacterial testing and also underwent a city inspection last August.
- The most recent monthly test for a cooling tower atop a third building at 1265 Franklin Avenue was last reported on Aug. 4.
Bronx resident Melvin Vializ said he had not yet heard of the latest outbreak and urged city officials to do a better job at communicating the risk.
“It does concern me because if the city really cares about its people being safe, then I would expect for them to let us know about it, you know, of course when they first know about it. I would appreciate if they tell us first,” Vializ said.
Chantal Gomez, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said agency staff and Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin were in the neighborhood distributing flyers. The health department did not respond in time for publication to questions about whether it was aware of the cooling towers that had no recent tests on record.
The agency announced the outbreak in a statement late Thursday. In a statement, Martin said inspectors have sampled cooling towers in the affected area. He said any tower that tests positive will be “directed to undergo full cleaning and disinfection immediately.”
As of mid-June, seven of the 38 towers had not received annual city inspections. Citywide, the health department has inspected close to 1,600 cooling towers in the first six months of 2026, according to agency spokesperson William Fowler. He added that the number of inspections was 35% higher compared to the same period last year, when the numbers hit a near-record low under then-Mayor Eric Adams due to budget cuts and short staffing.
A Social Security office on Concourse Village West. The building owner had not submitted required monthly Legionella bacteria test results since late June, according to city records.
Walter Wuthmann
Legionnaires’ disease can be spread through cooling towers, which serve buildings’ air conditioning systems and can spew water mist contaminated with Legionella bacteria if they’re not properly maintained and disinfected.
Citywide, fewer than 10% of cooling towers have not submitted Legionella testing in the past month.
The health department advised residents who live in or have visited the area who are experiencing symptoms like cough, fever or muscle aches to seek medical attention. The agency announced it would host a virtual town hall on Sunday afternoon for community members.
The most recent monthly test records for a cooling tower at Concourse Plaza, 214 E 161st Street, were last updated in late June.
Walter Wuthmann
In a statement posted online on Thursday, City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she would be monitoring the health department’s response to the outbreak, including “the testing of cooling towers throughout the affected area.”
“Our priority must be protecting New Yorkers and ensuring that every available measure is being taken to contain this outbreak and prevent further illness,” Menin wrote.
Menin was a vocal critic of the Mamdani administration's handling of the outbreak on the Upper East Side earlier this summer. She demanded the health department order the proactive disinfection of all cooling towers in the area.
Several residents who were sickened or lost loved ones in the Upper East Side outbreak have also been critical of the city’s response and the low number of cooling tower inspections leading up to the outbreak in Manhattan.
At a hearing with the City Council’s health committee last week, Martin defended the city’s response, stating that a blanket disinfection would have deteriorated cooling tower systems, making them more vulnerable to future contamination. He said it would have also made it difficult to collect bacterial samples from affected towers.
According to a timeline published by the health department, the agency issued 83 orders to clean and disinfect cooling towers on the Upper East Side by the end of the outbreak.
Walter Wuthmann contributed reporting. This is a developing story and may be updated.
Tagged
Health and Science
Legionnaires disease
bronx
new york city
Joe Hong
Joe Hong is the investigative data reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. He previously covered K-12 education for several newsrooms across California. His reporting has led to local reforms in juvenile justice system as well as a state law requiring universal screening for dyslexia. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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