Legionnaire's Bacteria Discovered at Yonkers School

By ALFRED BRANCH (Patch Staff)

While cleaning the school’s cooling towers, Yonkers officials recently discovered the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ at Riverside High School, Mayor Mike Spano announced Friday.

No cases of the disease have been reported in the city, and the discovery at the high school has been dealt with and the building has been reopened. School staffers are on site as they prepare for the first day of school on Sept. 2.

Many cases of Legionnaire’s Disease were discovered in Rockland and Bronx counties in recent weeks, resulting in a dozen deaths. The cases prompted state health officials to mandate the cleaning of cooling tower-type systems throughout New York.

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“In the effort to protect the public health and safety of Yonkers residents combined with the recent outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in neighboring Bronx County earlier this month, our administration proactively directed all city-owned and operated cooling towers to undergo preventative maintenance,” said Spano in a statement Friday. “After checking cooling towers at our school facilities, Riverside High School’s tower tested positive for the Legionella bacteria. The facility was closed immediately out of an abundance of caution to allow for the proper disinfecting and cleaning process to occur. Riverside was reopened today and the cooling tower does not pose any health risk to students, administrators, staff or other members of the public. I want to thank all city and school facilities staff who acted swiftly and professionally to ensure our residents remain safe.”

Dr. Michael Yazurlo, Yonkers Superintendent of Schools, said, “The health and safety of our students and staff is always foremost in all my decisions. As a precaution to our staff and students, on Wednesday I closed Riverside High School until cleaning and disinfecting was completed. That was accomplished and I reopened the school for normal use today. All proper protocols were followed; the staff will continue to monitor and appropriately maintain the system.”

Riverside High School is one of seven facilities containing cooling towers that are owned and operated by the City of Yonkers. Other facilities which are in the process of being cleaned and checked include EJ Murray’s Skating Center, Hudson River Museum, Grinton I. Will Library, Yonkers Animal Shelter, Saunders Trades and Technical High School and Yonkers Middle High School. Saunders and Yonkers Middle High School both tested negative for the Legionella bacteria and will be open for school as scheduled.

Earlier this month, Mayor Spano issued a memorandum to city officials directing all agencies of the City of Yonkers to execute any and all measures, including increased preventative maintenance and inspection of any and all city-owned and/or operated cooling towers, to reduce the risk of Legionella bacteria to develop and spread in Yonkers. The memo additionally directed other local private entities in the city that operate cooling towers to take proactive measures in the same manner to prevent any potential spread of the Legionella bacteria.

New York State established a free hotline to answer questions and provide information regarding the new regulations at 1-888-769-7243. Those who need to register can visit the State’s Department of Health website at www.health.ny.gov.