Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in Poland Kills 16

Sixteen individuals have died and over 150 have been hospitalized in southeastern Poland in an outbreak of Legionnaires’ illness, a extreme pressure of bacterial pneumonia, native well being authorities mentioned Wednesday.

The outbreak has been concentrated within the southeastern metropolis of Rzeszow, which lies about 60 miles from the border with neighboring Ukraine, though some circumstances have been registered elsewhere. The Polish well being ministry mentioned this week that the most probably supply of an infection was Rzeszow’s municipal water community.

Once comparatively quiet, Rzeszow has develop into an essential hub for the worldwide response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, internet hosting American troopers and 1000’s of Ukrainian refugees. The deaths, which have occurred over the previous week, sparked unfounded rumors in Poland of Russian duty for the outbreak that the authorities have tried to tamp down.

Stanislaw Zaryn, a deputy minister who oversees the nation’s intelligence companies, mentioned Friday that the Polish inner safety service was pursuing a routine investigation into the circumstances behind the an infection to rule out “potential intentional action in this case.”

Prof. Robert Flisiak, an epidemiologist who leads the Polish Association of Epidemiologists and Infectiologists, mentioned there had been no proof that somebody had sought to trigger the outbreak.

“The actual number of registered cases in the last two weeks is what we usually record in two years,” Professor Flisiak mentioned in an electronic mail. But the variety of circumstances in Poland was nonetheless small in comparison with common outbreaks in different European international locations, he added.

Legionnaires’ illness might be deadly in about 10 % of circumstances, in keeping with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most wholesome individuals uncovered to the micro organism don’t develop into sick, however the threat is increased among the many aged and folks with weak immune methods.

The illness is normally unfold by inhaling airborne water droplets — comparable to vapor from ornamental fountains or scorching tubs — fairly than by means of interpersonal contact or consuming water, in keeping with the C.D.C. In Rzeszow, a authorities disaster staff shut off water fountains and consuming stations in response to the outbreak.

Over the previous few days, native authorities in Rzeszow have handled the town’s water provide community with chlorine in an try and wipe out the an infection, the municipality mentioned on its Facebook web page. The metropolis beneficial that residents — confronted with the stench of chlorine coming from their faucets — boil the water earlier than consuming it.

Rising temperatures spurred partially by local weather change might have performed a task within the outbreak, Professor Flisiak mentioned, because the micro organism that trigger Legionnaires’ illness thrive within the warmth. Like a lot of Europe, Poland has had sweltering temperatures this summer time, a part of a continentwide warmth wave.

Anatol Magdziarz contributed reporting from Warsaw.