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Legionnaire's outbreak in Poland, death toll at 11: What is the disease
Legionnaires' disease is not directly contagious from person to person. It is caused by bacteria that can multiply in water and air-conditioning systems.
An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease has hit the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow killing 11 people, health authorities said. The water supply system of the city was being checked as the source of the disease. "We have 144 confirmed cases, and 11 fatal cases," Adam Sidor of the regional health inspection service said. Authorities in Rzeszow, a city of some 200,000 people, have stepped up disinfection procedures.
"We're looking for the source of the contamination. A contamination of the hot- and cold-water supply network is being considered at this time," Adam Sidor said, adding, “For now that does not allow us to confirm that the water supply is the contamination source. The next few days will be decisive.”
Of 105 water samples taken so far, initial tests of the first 18 samples have found legionellosis bacteria in half of them, he said.
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Legionnaires' disease is not directly contagious from person to person. It is caused by bacteria that can multiply in water and air-conditioning systems. It can cause fever and pneumonia, especially among people with weak immune systems.
“Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever outbreaks occur when two or more people are exposed to Legionella in the same place and get sick at about the same time. People can get Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever when they breathe in small droplets of water in the air that contain Legionella,” CDC said.
“Outbreaks are commonly associated with buildings or structures that have complex water systems, like hotels and resorts, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and cruise ships. The most likely sources of infection include water used for showering, hot tubs, decorative fountains, and cooling towers (structures that contain water and a fan as part of centralized air cooling systems for a building or industrial processes),” it added.
The disease takes its name from the first known outbreak which occurred in 1976 at a hotel in Philadelphia. More than 220 people fell ill, of whom 34 died then.
