20 more cooling towers to be tested in South Bronx after Legionnaires' disease outbreak

SOUTH BRONX, N.Y. (WABC) -- New York City health officials have identified 20 more cooling towers they want to test in the South Bronx after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease killed two people and sickened dozens more.

The towers are being tested to try to determine the source of the Legionella bacteria. The New York City Health Department said it can't stop the spread of the disease because they don't know where it originated.

The bacteria was found in two rooftop cooling systems Thursday - the Concourse Plaza Mall on 161st Street and Lincoln Hospital.

Officials said no one at the hospital was identified as contracting the disease, only in the neighborhoods around the hospital.

Two people - a man and woman in their 50s - died after contracting the disease. Forty-six other people have been sickened by it since July 10. The four neighborhoods where the outbreak is most prominent are: Highbridge, Morrisania, Mott Haven and Hunts Point.

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Legionnaires' disease is dispersed through vapor or mist that's ingested. The disease cannot be spread from person to person.

There have not been any concerns about the water supply, health officials said, but it is being tested in the affected areas as a precaution.

Symptoms of the disease include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion and diarrhea. These usually appear two to 10 days after significant exposure to Legionella bacteria.

Stay with abc7NY for updates on this developing story.