The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City was among several Manhattan buildings that recently tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, according to city health department data released Friday. The department has ordered 31 buildings on the Upper East Side to clean and disinfect their cooling towers as the city addresses its latest outbreak of the disease.
Of the 31 buildings identified, the Guggenheim Museum had already completed the required remediation, with the remaining buildings expected to finish by Saturday. City officials clarified that positive test results do not definitively identify a building as the source of the outbreak, as the tests cannot distinguish between live and dead bacteria. The museum remained open and was not subject to any closures due to the positive test or remediation.
"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 Guggenheim Museum said in a statement. The museum also noted it engages an external company for monthly testing and treatment of its cooling tower.
The Guggenheim, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
More than 50 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in connection with the Upper East Side cluster. According to the latest data from the city health department, fewer than 20 individuals remain hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported thus far.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which typically thrive in warm water. The bacteria can spread through building water systems, including showerheads, hot tubs, and cooling towers. These cooling towers, usually located on building rooftops, regulate system temperatures but do not impact drinking water or indoor air quality. The disease is not transmitted person-to-person; it is contracted by inhaling contaminated water droplets.
Symptoms, which can appear two to 14 days after exposure, include cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. Individuals over 50, smokers, those with chronic lung disease, or people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk. The illness was named after an outbreak that occurred among attendees of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976. Last year, an outbreak in Harlem resulted in seven deaths and over 100 illnesses, which was traced to cooling towers at Harlem Hospital and a nearby construction site.