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Date Published: 11/08/2022

ARCHIVED - First case of legionella discovered in Region of Murcia

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The bacterium was detected in a private well in the municipality of Yecla

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - First case of legionella discovered in Region of Murcia

Public Health confirmed on Wednesday August 10 that a case of legionella has been uncovered in the Murcian municipality of Yecla. A sample taken from the water well of a private home tested positive for the bacterium, and the resident, who had other underlying health issues, was taken to the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital for treatment.

No other cases have been reported in the Region of Murcia.

Elsewhere in Spain, one person has died and another four have been hospitalised this week in Cáceres after testing positive as carriers of legionella. In addition, two other infected patients have since been discharged from the San Pedro de Alcántara Hospital.

Legionella is a bacterium responsible for 2 types of infections: a self-limited and benign infection that causes fever and cold called Pontiac fever, and Legionnaires' disease, consisting of pneumonia that usually appears in the form of an epidemic.

The bacterium grows at temperatures above 35ºC, usually in places where there is stagnant water.

Legionella last made its mark on the Region back in June of 2017, when the Ministry of Health confirmed its presence in water samples from a building on Avenida de Europa in Murcia. A company carrying out maintenance on the air conditioning tanks first alerted the Ministry, the outbreak was immediately controlled and nobody became ill.

The largest outbreak of legionella in Murcia’s history was recorded in 2001 with six deaths and some 700 people infected with the bacterium. The contaminated water in this case originated in the cooling towers of the Morales Meseguer Hospital.

Also of interest: Heatstroke claims a victim in Murcia with another worker critical in Yecla ICU

Image: Flickr

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