Basel authorities say Legionella outbreak is over

According to the Basel authorities, the Legionella outbreak has come to an end Keystone-SDA

The Legionella outbreak in Basel has come to an end according to local health authorities. No further cases have been reported for more than a week. Tests confirm that the correct source of the outbreak has been identified.

One person remains in hospital but does not require intensive care, according to authorities. In total, 28 cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported in the canton of Basel City since the outbreak at the end of July. One person died.

The assumption that two wet cooling towers on the Manor headquarters building were the source of the outbreak has been scientifically confirmed. The cantonal laboratory worked with the support of the University Hospital of Basel to sequence the samples. In doing so, the experts compared samples from the cooling towers – which have since been decommissioned – with those taken from patients who had fallen ill.

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The results confirm that the authorities have identified and eliminated the correct source of the infection. The authorities will continue to analyse the samples from the homes of those who fell ill and, if necessary, order the required measures. According to the press release, no links have so far been established between the shower water in the homes investigated and the outbreak.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.