General Motors has closed one of its buildings at its Technical Center in Warren after two people there tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease.
GM spokeswoman Tara Kuhnen said Sept. 11 that the company closed its Cole Engineering Center, where many of GM’s engineers and designers work on advanced vehicles design, engineering and research. GM closed it on the evening of Sept. 10 and the building will remain closed until at least Monday, Sept. 22.
“GM was notified late Wednesday, Sept. 10, by the Macomb County Health Department that two Cole residents had tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease,” Kuhnen said. “Out of an abundance of caution, GM took immediate action to close the building and has ordered comprehensive third-party testing for the site.”
She said GM’s regular bacteria testing at Cole has revealed there are no issues, and, at this time, the building has not been confirmed as the source.
“The health and safety of our employees is our continued priority,” Kuhnen said.
About 10,000 to 11,000 people work in the Cole building, Kuhnen said. For now, the employees assigned to Cole can work from home or from an alternate GM location.
The last time GM closed down its Cole Engineering Center was in 2020 after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.
Caused by bacteria, Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia. Legionella, the bacterium that causes the illness, thrives in water and is commonly found in places such as plumbing systems, cooling towers, and hot tubs.
Last month, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease was in the water system of Allegria Village, a senior-living community in Dearborn, where investigators from the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services investigated the cause of death for two residents who had Legionnaires’ disease and died in June and July.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM closes engineering center in Warren after two test positive for Legionnaires’ disease
Reporting by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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