The Guggenheim Museum in New York City was among dozens of buildings on Manhattan’s Upper East Side to test positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease recently.
Outbreak Details
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum on Fifth Avenue was one of 31 buildings that the city said would be required to clean and disinfect their cooling towers to get rid of the bacteria. The Guggenheim is among 19 of the buildings which have already finished disinfection, with the others expected to be completed by Saturday.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which naturally occurs in water. Symptoms include fever, chills, and shortness of breath, and it can be treated with antibiotics if detected early.
More than 50 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in connection with the Upper East Side outbreak and fewer than 20 remain hospitalized. The museum said in a statement that the city has confirmed that there is no additional action needed at this time, and this poses no risk to anyone inside the building.
The source of the outbreak remains under investigation. Cooling towers, often found on rooftops, can release mist carrying Legionella pneumophila bacteria. The NYC Health Department said all cooling towers in the affected area are being tested.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
