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Guggenheim Museum among NYC buildings that tested positive for Legionnaires' amid disease outbreak
PBS • • general
Key Points:
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City tested positive for Legionella bacteria amid a recent outbreak linked to cooling towers on Manhattan's Upper East Side, but the museum was never closed and poses no current risk to visitors.
- The NYC health department ordered 31 Upper East Side buildings to clean and disinfect their cooling towers; 19 have completed remediation, with the rest expected to finish shortly.
- Over 50 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease related to this cluster, with fewer than 20 hospitalized and no deaths reported so far.
- Legionnaires' disease is caused by inhaling contaminated water droplets from sources like cooling towers, which do not affect drinking water or indoor air systems, and it is not spread person-to-person.
- Individuals over 50, smokers, and those with chronic lung conditions or weakened immune systems are at higher risk; symptoms typically appear 2 to 14 days after exposure and include cough, fever, and shortness of breath.
