New York City health officials warn of Legionnaires' disease outbreak
Health officials in New York City have issued a warning about a Legionnaires' disease outbreak, with 23 confirmed cases and 17 hospitalizations. Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine attending physician, details how the bacterial pneumonia is contracted, emphasizing it's from warm water in large cooling towers, not drinking water. She also discusses symptoms and curability with antibiotics.
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The Guggenheim Museum in New York City was among dozens of buildings on Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side to test positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease recently.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum on Fifth Avenue was one of 31 buildings that the city said Friday 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.
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FILE - The exterior 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 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.
"Anyone who lives, works or has visited the affected area since late June and develops flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately," the city said in a news release.
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Legionella pneumophila bacteria under a 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 museum said in a statement Saturday: "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 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 speaks at a town hall meeting about a Legionnaires' disease cluster at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church on Tuesday, in New York City. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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.
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 a cluster that was traced to a cooling tower on top of Harlem Hospital and a construction site near the city’s public health lab.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
