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Photo: ANP
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In Schijndel, fifteen people have been infected with legionella since last Monday. That is five more than the GGD reported on Thursday. One of them has died. No new legionella infections were added on Friday, the GGD Hart voor Brabant announced.
The source of the contamination has still not been found. The search will continue this weekend. The source of the contamination is mainly sought in the open air. The most likely causes of the contamination include cooling towers and fountains. All of these have now been sampled.
Legionella can be found in water, and becomes dangerous for people if that water is sprayed. Infection is through inhalation. It does not make everyone sick, but vulnerable elderly people, people with underlying diseases and smokers are particularly at risk.
The GGD tries to find out through conversations with patients where they have been and with which sources they have been in contact. This can be in car washes, at an event, or in a sauna, jacuzzis or showers that have not been used for a long time. It is striking that the only similarity between the patients is the neighborhood in which they live. Something that makes a source in the open air obvious, according to the GGD.
The samples from possible sources have been cultured in a laboratory. It will take a week to ten days before it is clear that legionella is growing from a culture. Laboratory research can be used to determine whether there is a match between a culture from a patient and from a possible source. Whether that source will be found is uncertain. Perhaps it has already been cleaned or disappeared.
People who have pneumonia are advised to contact their doctor immediately. This can indicate corona, but also legionella. Hospitals and general practitioners in the region are extra alert to legionella. If detected early, such an infection can be treated well.
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