New York City orders tests on all cooling towers within 2 weeks

New York

NEW York City buildings with water-cooling towers must assess and disinfect the units within the next two weeks under an order issued on Thursday by health officials in response to the outbreak of Legion-naires' disease in the South Bronx.

The directive, by the health commissioner Mary T Bassett, came as two more deaths from the illness were reported, bringing the toll to 10 since the outbreak - the largest in the city's history - began last month.

At least 100 people have been infected so far, and state and federal health officials have stepped in to help address the spread of the deadly respiratory illness.

The breadth of the order, which covers thousands of buildings, immediately raised questions about whether so many inspections could be carried out so quickly and how the city could enforce the requirement. Officials have said they do not have a registry of coolin…