An outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Portugal that has killed five people in less than a week constitutes a "major public health emergency", the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
The UN health agency said Portugal had notified it of a "large outbreak" of Legionnaire's disease in the Vila Franca de Xira suburb of Lisbon, voicing concern about the public health implications.
The disease is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person, but can multiply in water and air conditioning systems, including humidifiers, whirlpools and spas.
It is usually caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water.
The first 17 Portuguese cases were identified late last Thursday, and since then a full 233 cases have been reported, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva, adding that most of those infected were aged between 50 and 60.
Thirty-eight people are in intensive care and five have died, most of them with pre-existing medical conditions.
"This is the biggest Legionnaire's disease in Portugal and is considered a major public health emergency," Lindmeier said, describing the outbreak as "unusual and unexpected".
The source of the outbreak has yet to be detected, but he said that with such a large outbreak, it was unlikely that the infection had originated in a single household.
As a precaution, cooling towers in the area have been closed for disinfection, he said.
"The municipal water has now been checked and found to be safe," he said, adding: "No risk has been detected from drinking water in the affected areas."
The disease was discovered in the United States in 1976 during a convention of the American Legion, a military veterans group, at which 29 people died.
Explore further: Three more dead from Legionnaire's disease in Spain
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An outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Portugal that has killed five people in less than a week constitutes a "major public health emergency", the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
The UN health agency said Portugal had notified it of a "large outbreak" of Legionnaire's disease in the Vila Franca de Xira suburb of Lisbon, voicing concern about the public health implications.
The disease is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person, but can multiply in water and air conditioning systems, including humidifiers, whirlpools and spas.
It is usually caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water.
The first 17 Portuguese cases were identified late last Thursday, and since then a full 233 cases have been reported, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva, adding that most of those infected were aged between 50 and 60.
Thirty-eight people are in intensive care and five have died, most of them with pre-existing medical conditions.
"This is the biggest Legionnaire's disease in Portugal and is considered a major public health emergency," Lindmeier said, describing the outbreak as "unusual and unexpected".
The source of the outbreak has yet to be detected, but he said that with such a large outbreak, it was unlikely that the infection had originated in a single household.
As a precaution, cooling towers in the area have been closed for disinfection, he said.
"The municipal water has now been checked and found to be safe," he said, adding: "No risk has been detected from drinking water in the affected areas."
The disease was discovered in the United States in 1976 during a convention of the American Legion, a military veterans group, at which 29 people died.
Explore further: Three more dead from Legionnaire's disease in Spain
© 2014 AFP
Medical Xpress on facebook
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Three more dead from Legionnaire's disease in Spain
Sep 23, 2014
Three more people have died from Legionnaire's disease in Catalonia in northeastern Spain, officials said Tuesday, bringing to seven the death toll from the lung infection in the region in just over a week.
Eighth death from Legionnaire's disease in Spain
Sep 25, 2014
An eighth person has died from the lung infection Legionnaire's disease in northeastern Spain, where two separate outbreaks have struck this month, officials said Thursday.
Legionnaire's disease kills four in Spain
Sep 18, 2014
Four people have died from an outbreak of the lung infection Legionnaire's disease in northeastern Spain, regional health authorities said Thursday.
6 dead in Quebec Legionnaire's disease outbreak
Aug 24, 2012
Legionnaire's disease, which hit Quebec in mid-July, has infected 65 people and killed six, health authorities of the French-speaking Canadian province said.
10 dead in Quebec Legionnaire's disease outbreak
Sep 02, 2012
A Legionnaire's disease outbreak in Quebec City has killed 10 people since late July, health authorities in the francophone Canadian city said Saturday in an updated toll.
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