Guggenheim Museum Linked to Legionnaires’ Disease Testing

New York City’s renowned Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of several buildings in Manhattan that recently tested positive for the bacteria responsible for legionnaires’ disease.

On Friday, the city’s health department shared a list of 31 buildings on the Upper East Side that have been instructed to clean and disinfect their cooling towers amidst the city’s ongoing battle with a recent outbreak of this serious pneumonia.

The Guggenheim Museum, known for its unique cylindrical architecture, was among 19 locations that have already completed the necessary remediation, according to the department’s findings. The remaining buildings are expected to finish the work by Saturday.

Officials emphasized that the positive test results do not necessarily indicate that any of the buildings are the source of the outbreak. They noted that the tests couldn’t differentiate between living and dead bacteria.

Interestingly, the museum has not had to close its doors during this situation, as confirmed by officials. “The city has verified that no further action is required at this time, and there is no risk to anyone inside the building,” the museum stated, highlighting that an external company regularly tests and treats its cooling tower each month.

Designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated for its significant architectural contribution to the 20th century.

So far, over 50 individuals have been diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease linked to this Upper East Side outbreak, with fewer than 20 still hospitalized. Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities.

In contrast, during a significant outbreak last year in Harlem, seven lives were lost and more than 100 people fell ill, which was traced back to cooling towers on top of a hospital and a nearby construction site associated with the city’s public health lab.

The Legionella bacteria typically flourish in warm water and can propagate through building water systems like showerheads, hot tubs, and cooling towers.

These cooling towers are usually situated on rooftops and are crucial for regulating temperatures in refrigeration systems, but they do not affect drinking water or indoor air quality.

It’s also worth noting that legionnaires’ disease isn’t spread from person to person. Most people contract it by inhaling small droplets of contaminated water.

Symptoms typically appear between two days to two weeks after exposure, manifesting as cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Individuals aged 50 and older, smokers or vapers, those with chronic lung diseases, and people with weakened immune systems are generally at higher risk for developing legionnaires’ disease.

The disease gets its name from an outbreak that affected attendees of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia back in 1976.