GSK anticipates resuming production at Zebulon site by end of week
Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline anticipates resuming production at its Zebulon site in the next three days after bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in the cooling towers, a company spokesperson said Wednesday.
Posted — UpdatedA routine test found the bacteria legionella, which can cause Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia, or a milder infection called legionellosis.
A spokesman said the entire campus, which has several buildings, was not shut down - only the main site. The bacteria was not found in any of the buildings, and the cooling towers do not directly put air into the buildings. The towers will be cleaned and retested before employees return to work.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health said Wednesday that no one has reported any symptoms or illness associated with the shutdown.
GSK employs several thousand people across the Triangle and uses the Zebulon plant to manufacture a variety of products. Among the products made in Zebulon are Advair, Breo and Ellipta. However, manufacturing of these drugs was not affected, the company said.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
