In Rzeszów, a city in southeastern Poland, an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has led to the deaths of four individuals. The crisis prompted the activation of a crisis response team led by Health Minister Katarzyna Sójka, operating late into the night at the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Office. The focus of the meeting was devising strategies to quell the Legionella bacteria infection in the Podkarpackie region.
The outbreak has raised concerns about the municipal water supply system as a potential source of the infection. The Health Ministry announced via social media that a course of action has been outlined to extinguish the outbreak, with steps for immediate implementation by relevant authorities.
Reports from the local sanitary epidemiological station indicated a rise in the number of hospitalized cases, with 71 confirmed infections and four fatalities in the Podkarpackie region. An epidemiological investigation led by the sanitary authorities is currently underway.
Ten infected individuals are receiving treatment at the University Clinical Hospital in Rzeszów, with three in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Notably, seven patients with Legionnaires’ disease have shown signs of improvement.