Vergeles believes that legionella has passed in Cáceres although the origin of the outbreak remains unknown

The legionella outbreak that has already left 15 people infected and four dead in Cáceres (two of them pending confirmation of the cause) continues to have an unknown origin. The analyzes carried out on some thirty cooling towers, fountains and taps in the Rodeo Park and its surroundings have not yet shed light on the possible sources, although the Minister of Health, José María Vergeles, wrote this Wednesday in his personal Twitter account that the information available “seems to indicate that the source of infection has passed with the sanitization measures of all the facilities analyzed.”

Vergeles affirms that since August 4 there have been no new infections, so that “the incubation period” would have already passed. He reiterates that all the people who have had symptoms were infected before that date and “there are no new infections.” On the four registered deaths, a very high number given the limited nature of the outbreak, the counselor indicates that legionellosis “affects people with compromised defenses more and does so more seriously.” He also points out that “it is clinically difficult to know the exact cause of death due to the evolution of the diseases they suffered from.”

The four dead were admitted to the San Pedro de Alcántara hospital. The first two to die were a 70-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, both with very advanced cancer. Of the other two, the SES has not provided any data. Four of the infected people remain hospitalized due to other pathologies.

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Vergeles’ messages on Twitter were the only new information offered this Wednesday by the SES, which did not respond to specific questions asked by this newspaper, including whether the people who were admitted and tested positive had been infected within the hospital. He also rejected the request to interview a health official responsible for managing the outbreak.

Legionella experts consulted by HOY highlight how striking the high number of deaths is. Jacinto Díez, head of communication at Rentokil Initial, a company specializing in the treatment of legionella, points out that outbreaks with hundreds of infected people have been detected in other places, but with fewer deaths than those registered in Cáceres, which is surely due to the serious pre-existing illnesses.

Díez also points out that, although the SES denies that it is an outbreak because there is no “epidemiological link” between those affected, the logical thing is that there is a link when so many cases are detected in the same place and at the same time. The expert does admit that “it is not easy to find the origin of an outbreak”, and considers that the measures adopted in Cáceres, both in relation to the analysis of possible sources of infection and the closure of irrigation and public sources are “ suitable”. He also indicates that if, indeed, the last infections detected date back to August 4, it is “very likely” that, as Vergeles says, the outbreak has ended.

Jacinto Díez also considers, like the SES, that there is no health risk in Cáceres due to legionella, not even for the people who live in the area around the park. He says that they can safely continue to drink tap water, as Legionella is only transmitted by aerosols entering the respiratory tract.

The cultures carried out with samples from the areas of the Rodeo and its surroundings in which it is suspected that legionella may originate continue without giving positive results, although it is necessary to wait at least 20 days to completely rule out the presence of the bacterium. Until that happens, the closure of public fountains, both ornamental and drinking water, and the suspension of irrigation in the park are maintained. The most visible consequence is that the green areas begin to dry out and have already acquired a yellowish tone caused by the lack of irrigation.