Legionnaire's Bacteria Forced GSK to Stop North Carolina Plant Operation

GlaxoSmithKline shuts down its North Carolina plant Tuesday due to the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease caused by the Legionella bacteria.

GlaxoSmithKline is a healthcare company that specializes on the research and development of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.  It operates in two segments namely; Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare.

The Zebulon manufacturing plant, about 25 east miles of Raleigh, NC, was closed after finding the bacteria in a self-standing cooler after conducting a routine test.  The London-based company said that about 400 of the 850 employees working in Zebulon were told to stay away until the towers are cleaned.

The shutdown will not disrupt any medicinal supplies manufactured at the factory including the GSK's $7 billion-a-year Advair which is an inhaled respiratory drug that is also made at two other sites situated in Ware, England and Evreux, France.

In a statement, the company said that the cooling tower "does not come into contact with the product manufactured at the facility."  However, the drug maker company did not answer questions about whether there was any risk of indoor exposure to employees or medicines from water droplets which could be the carrier of the bacteria.

According to the GSK spokeswoman Jenni Brewer Ligday, they are trying to gather information on what the situation is.  Testing is conducted every three months, but the company seeks more details on whether the product has been impacted and, if they have, what is their procedure in place to handle such.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) checks into reports of the bacteria's discovery where a spokesman said, that any questions should be directed to GlaxoSmithKline.

The same kind of bacteria was also found in cooling tanks in the Bronx section of New York City which caused the death of 12 people inflicted with Legionnaire's disease.  This disease comes in contact when inhaled through water vapor or mist that contained the bacteria according to the CDC and does not spread from person to person.

GlaxoSmithKline said that the shutdown will serve as a precautionary measure and the Zebulon site will go back to its operation again when the situation was remedied.