Guggenheim Museum tests positive for Legionnaires’ disease bacteria
New York City health officials warn of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak
Health officials in New York City issued an alert about an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, with 23 confirmed cases and 17 hospitalizations. Emergency medicine doctor Dr. Stephanie Widmer details how bacterial pneumonia is transmitted and emphasizes that it is caused by hot water in large cooling towers, not drinking water. It also discusses symptoms and treatability with antibiotics.
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The Guggenheim Museum in New York City was among dozens of buildings on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that recently tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.
The museum on Fifth Avenue, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, was one of 31 buildings the city said Friday had to clean and disinfect cooling towers to get rid of bacteria.
The Guggenheim is among 19 buildings that have completed disinfection, while the others are expected to be completed by Saturday.
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FILE – Exterior view of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. (Kathy Willens/AP Photo, File)
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by bacteria. Legionella pneumophilaIt is a substance that occurs naturally in water.
Symptoms include fever, chills and shortness of breath and can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.
“Anyone who has lived, worked or visited the affected area since late June and develops flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare professional immediately,” the city said in a news release. he said.
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Legionella pneumophila bacteria under the microscope. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images, File)
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 city has confirmed that no additional action is required at this time and this does not pose any risk to anyone inside the building,” the museum said in a statement Saturday.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened in 1959 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin at St. Paul’s in New York City on Tuesday. Ignatius Loyola speaks at a town hall meeting about the Legionnaires’ disease cluster at Catholic Church. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The source of the epidemic is being investigated.
Cooling towers, often found on rooftops, can free fog transport Legionella pneumophila bacteria. The NYC Health Department said all cooling towers in the affected area were tested.
They control the temperature of systems such as refrigeration, but do not affect drinking water or the building’s indoor air or air conditioning.
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Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person to person.
Last year, seven people died in the cluster that was traced to a cooling tower atop Harlem Hospital and a construction site near the city’s public health laboratory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
