Warsaw, Aug 24, (dpa/GNA) – Five people have died and many more are in hospital, in a major legionella outbreak in the south-eastern Polish city of Rzeszow, the director of the local hospital told the PAP news agency on Thursday.
The fifth fatality was a 79-year-old woman, who died overnight, the director said. At present, 71 people are reportedly in hospital, 10 of them in intensive care.
Investigators are looking into whether the city’s water pipe system is the source of the legionella outbreak, the Health Ministry said, after a meeting of a crisis team on Wednesday evening.
Legionella can cause flu-like symptoms, and even severe pneumonia in humans. The pathogens are often transmitted through atomized water, for example in showers, whirlpools, through humidifiers or via taps.
Legionella bacteria find ideal growth conditions, at temperatures between 25 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s public health agency, the growth of the bacteria is inhibited at water temperatures above 55 degrees. At temperatures above 60 degrees, the germs die.
People with a weakened immune system, or with certain underlying diseases such as diabetes and heart and lung conditions, are particularly susceptible to legionella. Smokers and older people are also considered more at risk. According to the RKI, the disease is fatal in around 5% to 10% of patients.
GNA