Legionella Bacteria - Photo Credit CDC PHIL
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Now that laboratory analysis indicates that the pneumonia outbreak at a private clinic in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina is due to a bacterial (Legionella) infection, the world is breathing a sigh of relief, but health officials continue to deal with the outbreak on the ground.
Today a fifth fatality was announced by the Tucumán MOH website.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION September 4, 2022The Ministry of Public Health reports the death of a patient linked to the cluster of pneumonia cases
This is a 64-year-old male patient with comorbidities, who was hospitalized in serious condition in the public sector.
While 5 fatalities out of 11 cases is pretty high for Legionella, it is assumed that most of these patients had significant comorbidities, which put them at greater risk.
Since Legionella is rarely transmitted from human-to-human (see NEJM: Probable Person-to-Person Transmission Of Legionnaires’ Disease for a notable exception), it has been deemed safe to transfer the 12 remaining patients quarantined the private clinic to other facilities.
Completed the transfer of 12 patients to the public sector
They were referred to the Centro de Salud hospital as part of the contingency health plan. 04 Sep 2022 12:46
After the meeting led by the Minister of Health of the Nation, Carla Vizzotti , her counterpart from the province of Tucumán, Luis Medina Ruiz, and the PAHO representative in Argentina, Eva Llopis, the health portfolios agreed on the transfer of patients who they remained hospitalized in the private sanatorium for various pathologies.
These are 12 people housed in intensive care and other hospital rooms who were referred to the Centro de Salud hospital as part of the contingency health plan, following the outbreak of legionella detected in that institution.
The purpose of the transfer responds to the continuity of the evolution of these patients and to various monitoring and environmental control actions. The operation was carried out by the Directorate of Health Emergencies 107 and had the collaboration of the Tucumán Police.
To date, the infectious outbreak of bilateral pneumonia already identified by the Legionella bacterium amounts to eleven cases, of which four died; four are hospitalized (three in MRA and one with non-invasive ventilation); and three persist under outpatient treatment with home monitoring.
Since the incubation period for Legionella can be up to 14 days (average of 5-6 days), more cases are possible. We are also still awaiting final word on the species of Legionella that was detected, and the sources within the facility.
So, while its global implications are less than previously feared, there is still more to learn from this outbreak.
Stay tuned.
