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The outbreak of legionella Detected in the north of the country, which is having a particular incidence in the municipalities of Matosinhos, Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim, it caused a new death, bringing the number of registered deaths to six. The most recent victim is a 75-year-old man living in Matosinhos who had several associated diseases. There are 39 people hospitalized at the Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde Hospital Center (CHPVVC), at the Pedro Hispano Hospital, in Matosinhos, and at the S. João Hospital Center, in Porto. The source of the outbreak has not yet been identified.
Although the first cases were detected on October 29 and health authorities are investigating the situation, it has not yet been possible to identify where the bacteria was or is being released. Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires’ disease. The focus is on industrial facilities or large commercial areas in the affected areas, since the cooling towers and air conditioning of these complexes are susceptible to this type of contamination – as occurred in the outbreak of Vila Franca de Xira, in 2014 – but, so far, there is no confirmation that this is the source of the infections.
That’s right, the source from the Northern Regional Health Administration told the PUBLIC Tuesday afternoon. “Teams are working to try to locate the source, but there are no results yet,” he said.
In the municipalities of Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim, there is no information on the origin of the outbreak that is affecting several residents of the two municipalities (in addition to Matosinhos). “Our concern at this time is to know the origin of the outbreak and we hope that the authorities will give us information,” said a source from the local authority.
Currently, 13 people are admitted to the CHPVVC, two more than yesterday. In Matosinhos, where there was another death of a person with legionellaCurrently, 20 people with Legionnaires’ disease are hospitalized. At Hospital S. João there are six people hospitalized, two of whom are in intensive care and there are no deaths related to this disease. With the exception of this Tuesday’s case, the fatal victims, four in Pedro Hispano and two in CHPVVC, were 85 years old or older.
The general director of Health, Graça Freitas, said this Monday that between October 29 and that day, 64 cases of legionellosis had been identified in the North region, 46 of which were linked “to the same outbreak.” “They are located in the coastal region of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, which will indicate a common source,” he added.
Legionnaires’ disease is not transmitted from person to person and is contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapor droplets (aerosols) that carry bacteria to the lungs, depositing them in the lung alveoli. The most acute cases have symptoms similar to those of severe pneumonia, including high fever, shortness of breath or muscle pain, which can be confused with those of COVID-19. An outbreak of a respiratory illness like this (in which more severe cases may also require ventilators), with an increase in COVID-19 cases, puts even more pressure on hospitals.
