Legionella in Sauerland

Legionella triggers the wave of disease in Warstein

20/08/2013

The cause of the enigmatic wave of illnesses with more than 60 patients and two deaths in Warstein, Germany, may have been clarified. The Health Department in Soest claims to follow a concrete trail that points to Legionella infections. Be until Monday evening „Four positive legionella findings from a total of 64 affected patients in the county house“ received, so the official communication.

After the detection of the Legionella infections, the health supervisors are now looking for the possible source of the pathogens, with the experts, according to the health department in the district of Soest the tap or drinking water „definitely“ as cause exclude. Although the spread of Legionella on the tap water is generally one of the most common routes of infection, but two reasons speak clearly, according to the circle physicians against this possibility. „On the one hand, there is no increase in legionella at a temperature of 15 degrees currently prevailing in the supply lines. On the other hand, no relatives of the affected persons are affected“, So the message of the Soester health department.

Parallels to legionella infections in southern Germany
The health director Dr. Frank Renken sees the legionella infections in Warstein as parallels to an outbreak in southern Germany about three years ago. Recalls, according to Renken „the events strongly to an incident in the year 2010 in Ulm“, in which „Legionella has been spread over the exhaust air of an air-conditioning plant“ were. To limit the source of the pathogens, take a survey of the infected „with a questionnaire of the Bielefeld Regional Center for Health specified for the suspected Legionella.“ According to the authorities, the number of hospital admissions has been reduced to two new arrivals on Monday, „ after 30 patients had been admitted to the Warstein Hospital Maria Hilf with the relevant symptoms on the weekend from Friday to Sunday.“

Typical symptoms of Legionnaires' disease
The Legionella Legionella or legionnaires' disease is characterized by initially rather nonspecific symptoms such as chills, fever, muscle pain and persistent irritable cough, as well as severe pneumonia in the later course of the disease. Often accompanying symptoms include headache, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, which initially lead to the suspicion of flu or a flu infection. Legionella live as rod-shaped bacteria in the water, where they can multiply particularly well at temperatures between 25 and 50 degrees Celsius. (Fp)

Also read about Legionella:
Legionella in Seehalle: Showers locked
Legionella: shower ban in Reinfeld

Picture credits: Michael Bührke