Legionella detected in a kindergarten in Warsaw. Disturbing news from the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.
Legionella bacteria were detected in one of Warsaw’s kindergartens. The Sanitary and Epidemiological Station has already taken a number of actions in this matter.
The Legionella bacteria has reached Warsaw. The capital’s Sanitary and Epidemiological Station reported that her presence was detected in kindergarten number 20 at Sempołowska Street in the city center. Due to the detection of Legionella, the services issued a number of recommendations. The showers were closed for seven days. During this time, the showers are to be dismantled and chemically disinfected. Moreover, the so-called overheating the water, i.e. heating it to a temperature of 70 degrees, which kills the legionella bacteria.
At the same time, the services reassure that there is no reason to worry at the moment. The Sanitary and Epidemiological Station did not recommend closing the kindergarten. The facility’s management assured in a statement that the children were safe. It was added that legionellosis cannot be infected either from a sick person or by drinking water. Infection occurs only by inhaling an aerosol of infected water.
Legionella in Poland
So far, 166 confirmed cases of Legionella infections have been reported. The highest number in Rzeszów – 112 and the Rzeszów poviat – 38. Director of the Poviat Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Rzeszów, Jaromir Ślączka, reported that 21 people with confirmed legionella infection have already died. All people who died had comorbidities.
The announcement issued by Adam Sidor, Podkarpackie State Voivodship Sanitary Inspector, emphasized that “an epidemiological investigation is underway to identify the likely source of infection in the outbreak in the city of Rzeszów and the surrounding area.”
Although the first results of testing water samples are known (four out of nine showed the presence of legionella), it is still not known what exactly is the source of infection. Adam Sidor explained that current epidemiological data at the moment indicate only single, new cases of confirmed infections related to the outbreak, and according to him, this means extinguishing the outbreak of infections.
