Italy has been going through a remarkable epidemic of pneumonia, and my respected Flublogian colleague ironorehopper has been following it closely. Here's what the Italian Ministry of Health had to say on September 10: Brescia pneumonia. "The Ministry of Health and the Iss are constantly monitoring the situation". The Google translation:
Press release n. 63
Date of the press release 10 September 2018
Brescia pneumonia. "The Ministry of Health and the Iss are constantly monitoring the situation"
The Ministry of Health is carefully monitoring the situation in the provinces of Brescia and Mantua from the first recorded cases, due to the intensification of cases of pneumonia of probable bacterial origin and particularly aggressive.
The Higher Institute of Health has received all the organic material related to hospitalized patients and is performing the necessary bacteriological tests during these hours.
As soon as the results of the investigations are completed, the Ministry of Health will take every action necessary to overcome the emergency.
The ministry is in constant contact with local health managers.
Note from the Directorate-General for Prevention
In accordance with the Guidelines for the prevention and control of Legionellosis, the Lombardy Region is proceeding to the culture of bronchial secretions or the sputum of all patients admitted with diagnosis of pneumonia of a nature to be diagnosed. The etiological research is also directed towards other possible causes.
Notwithstanding the epidemiological investigations in progress to identify possible common places of possible exposure, a verification was carried out with the managers of the aqueducts of the Brescia municipalities concerned, confirming that there are no structured interconnections among the same that justify the involvement of the different municipalities.
However, cognitive analyses on drinking water taken in municipalities with more than one case are being carried out and the information necessary for legionella risk has been provided to the population.
Legionellosis
It is an infection, caused by a bacterium called "Legionella", which affects the respiratory system and can manifest itself with a severe form of pneumonia. It occurs abruptly after an incubation period of 2-10 days and may be accompanied by symptoms such as: elevated body temperature, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, mental confusion, delirium.
Most healthy individuals resist the disease, but the risk of acquisition is related to the individual susceptibility of the exposed subject, to the concentration and type of Legionella, at the time of exposure.
Legionella is a very common microorganism in nature, in freshwater environments (lakes and rivers, thermal springs, humid environments in general). From here, Legionella through drinking water distribution networks in cities, where it may be present in low concentration, can colonize artificial water environments such as water systems of individual buildings, large air-conditioning systems (evaporative towers and cooling towers) , whirlpools, fountains, and so on. When these systems are poorly maintained, conditions of proliferation of the bacterium can be created, which can also reach very high concentrations.
The disease can be acquired by breathing the aerosol formed from contaminated water. Aerosol production can occur through the use of taps or showers, whose circuits are colonized by the bacterium. However, large outbreaks are often caused by aerosol emissions, also spread over long distances, by evaporative or cooling towers, which are not properly cleaned and disinfected, where the cooling water is contaminated with Legionella.
The disease is not contracted by drinking contaminated water or even for human-to-human transmission.
