NYC museums failed to warn visitors about Legionnaires contamination — potentially endangering thousands - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported that several prominent New York City institutions with cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria did not publicly warn visitors that they may have been exposed during an Upper East Side Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Citing city Department of Health information, the Post identified sites including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, a Marriott hotel and All Souls Church among locations with positive cooling-tower tests.

According to the Post, the outbreak has killed five New Yorkers and sickened 87, while 77 cooling towers have tested positive for Legionella since July 2. The newspaper said it found no visitor-facing signs or website alerts at a half-dozen prominent contaminated locations it reviewed, meaning members of the public would have had to search the Health Department’s website by address to learn whether a business had tested positive.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia that can spread when people inhale mist or small water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. The Post cited federal health guidance that the disease can be fatal in about one in 10 diagnosed cases, and quoted a Johns Hopkins public health expert saying fast diagnosis and treatment are important because severe illness can develop quickly.

The institutions that responded emphasized remediation and safety. The Met said it took required action and prioritized visitors, staff and volunteers. The Guggenheim said the city indicated immediate remediation was the key step and that no further action was needed, adding that drinking water, bathrooms and air conditioning posed no risk under city guidance. The Post also reported that Butterfield Market posted notices, while City Council Speaker Julie Menin introduced legislation aimed at more proactive cooling-tower identification and cleaning.