Bacteria Linked to Legionnaires’ Disease Detected at Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York health officials announced that traces of Legionella bacteria linked to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side were detected at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after earlier detection at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The Met said it would use its typical Wednesday closure to clean and conduct follow-up testing. The Guggenheim reported that the bacteria were found during routine testing of its cooling tower, that remediation began immediately, and that the tower is not accessible to the public; the museum also briefed UAW Local 2110, whose president Olga Brudastova said she was satisfied with the response. The outbreak was first identified on July 2, and New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said 49 patients required hospitalization, with 34 having returned home and no deaths reported; inspectors have tested cooling towers at more than 100 neighborhood buildings.
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This story was covered in Museums Under Fire, Markets Back in Vogue