Three more persons have died due to Legionnaires' disease and nine more have been infected - the County Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Rzeszów said on Tuesday (August 29). A total of 14 deaths caused by the Legionella pneumophila bacterium have been reported so far.
Poland's sanitary and epidemiological authority Sanepid also said on Tuesday that all 14 victims had suffered from underlying medical conditions.
Apart from the 14 deaths, the authorities have confirmed a total of 159 infections as of Tuesday.
The sanitary inspector for Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Adam Sidor, told PAP that the source of the contamination with the Legionella pneumophila bacterium has not been determined yet.
"Precisely this is the subject of investigation. At this stage, I'm not able to tell you what could have happened," Sidor said.
The water supply system in the city of Rzeszów was rinsed and disinfected over the weekend. Sanepid will collect water samples after 7 days to check if the bacterium has been neutralized. It will then take additional 10 days to examine the samples.
Poland's Special Services Coordinator Stanisław Żaryn said on Monday the inquiry launched by the ABW (The Internal Security Agency) has not identified any information that would suggest the outbreak has been caused by foul play.
"We have not identified any information that we are dealing with sabotage," Żaryn said.
Legionnaires' disease, caused by the legionella bacteria, can result in a severe form of pneumonia. The most common form of transmission is inhalation of contaminated aerosols produced in conjunction with water sprays, jets or mists of contaminated water sources, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters
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