One person died and four others were infected with legionellosis in the Territoire de Belfort, reports the prefecture. Investigations are in progress.
An epidemic of legionellosis has broken out in the Territoire de Belfort. Six patients were affected during August and one person died. This is a 46-year-old man who presented “multiple medical weaknesses”. The other five patients were taken care of and are “out of danger”, specifies the prefecture.
The regional directorate for the environment, development and housing (Dreal) is carrying out investigations to determine the source of contamination. According to the first elements, “the six people do not have a priori any common bond: four live in the department, two were passing through, including the deceased man. We do not know for the moment whether they attended the same place, ”the prefecture told AFP. The regional health agency (ARS) for its part carried out analyzes on the type or types of strain that affected the patients.
A fatal disease
Legionellosis is a serious, non-contagious infection of the lungs caused by bacteria called Legionella. It mainly affects adults and more particularly affects people with contributing factors. There are more than 50 species of Legionella strains, but only a few of them cause human infections. The strains most commonly associated with legionellosis in France are the Legionella pneumophila.
Legionella occurs naturally in fresh water (lakes and rivers) and wet soils. Contamination occurs through the respiratory tract, by inhalation of contaminated water aerosolized. Symptoms are usually similar to those of the flu: fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing. They appear 2 to 10 days after contamination.
Legionellosis is a severe pneumonia. The death rate, although lower than in the past, is 11%. In 2014, 1,348 cases of legionellosis were notified in France, 122 of which led to death, according to Public Health France.
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