Drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) discovered Legionella bacteria in a cooling tower at its North Carolina plant, forcing the company to shut down operations until further notice.

According to a report by Reuters, GSK spokeswoman Jenni Brewer Ligday said the bacteria were found in a stand-alone cooling tower during routine inspections in Zebulon, North Carolina.

"The site will reopen when the situation is remedied," she explained in the official statement. "We are taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our employees, as well as the safety and integrity of our products."

GSK is a drug manufacturing company that produces a wide range of medicines and vaccines including Advair, Zofran, Tivicay and many more. Around 850 people are employed at the Zebulon plant and the people on the main site were sent home upon discovery of the bacteria, according to the statement published on FiercePharma.

Although the company assured that their products do not come in contact with the cooling tower, they have been conducting an investigation to learn more about the effects of the bacteria's presence. The Charlotte Observer reported Ligday saying that the company is seeking "more details on whether the product has been impacted and, if they have, what is our procedure in place to handle that."

"The plant means a lot to our community, so we are concerned for GlaxoSmithKline," Zebulon Mayor Robert S. Matheny said in a report by CNN. "But, of course, our first priority is the health and safety of our community. And we've been assured that everything is good with that."

The public has already been wary of the Legionnaires' disease since its outbreak in New York City at the start of the summer. A report from the New York Times said it has already killed 12 people and infected over a hundred since July. This latest discovery of the bacteria that causes the fatal airborne disease put officials and citizens on high alert.

The New York City Health Department described Legionnaires' disease as a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria that breeds in warm water. While it is not transmitted through person-to-person contact, an individual can get sick of the disease from inhaling water droplets containing the bacteria. Older people and those suffering from existing respiratory problems are especially at risk of the Legionnaires' disease.