WARSAW – Death toll from the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Rzeszow region, near the Ukrainian border, rose to 16 on Wednesday, and health authorities said an investigation continues.
The head of the Rzeszow Sanitary Inspectorate, Jaromir Slaczka, said all 16 victims were already undergoing treatment for other medical conditions.
At least 155 infected people have been hospitalized nationwide since the outbreak.
The bacterium that causes Legionnaires disease, a type of pneumonia, was first identified in 1977 as the cause of an outbreak of severe pneumonia in 1976 at a convention center in the US.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common form of transmission is inhalation of contaminated aerosols produced in conjunction with water sprays, jets, or mists of contaminated water sources.
Of the reported global cases, WHO said 75-80 percent are individuals older than 50 years old, with 60-70 percent accounted for by males.
The bacterium also made headlines recently after asylum seekers were moved in early August from the UK's floating migrant barge, the Bibby Stockholm, after the bacterium was found in the on-board water system. (Anadolu)
