No reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease

he bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease has been discovered at Manhattanville College, officials said.

Legionella bacteria was found in a large water chiller on the campus in Purchase, spokesman JJ Pryor said. Manhattanville was notified of the test results Tuesday by a company that cleans and inspects the college’s water chiller, he said.

The airborne bacteria, spread through mist or vapor, can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia-like illness that can be fatal.

A dozen people died from the disease in the Bronx this past summer.

No cases of the disease have been reported at Manhattanville, though, “and all data suggests that there is no imminent danger of infection,” Pryor said.

The college’s chiller was immediately shut down and a complete cleaning and disinfecting is scheduled for Thursday, the earliest available time, Pryor said.

Manhattanville notified students immediately that anyone experiencing symptoms of flu or pneumonia should contact the college’s health center to get tested, he said.

In August a case of the disease was reported in a worker at an Orangeburg manufacturing plant, and the bacteria were found in the air-conditioning system at Riverside High School in Yonkers. Both facilities had their cooling towers cleaned and disinfected.