Spain (Zaragoza) -- The Public Health Department from the Aragon Government has reported 2 new  legionellosis cases in Zaragoza. The number of people affected, in June  2004, therefore now stands at 28 patients. 16 of them are related to the  outbreak reported in the Lozano-Blesa University Clinic Hospital. The authorities report that, out of the 16 patients associated with the  outbreak at this hospital, one died last Tue 22 Jun 2004, 14 have been  admitted to hospital in different facilities, and one has been discharged.

The 2 new cases are patients who were inpatients at the Lozano-Blesa Hospital before the outbreak was initially reported. The first case is a 56 year old man who was admitted on 9 Jun 2004 because of an immunosuppressive condition. He is currently at the medicine ward, and his clinical outlook is good. The other case, a 62 year old woman, admitted on 13 Jun 2004 due to circumstances similar to that of the other patient, but who, subsequently, recovered well, has already been discharged.

The active surveillance for possible legionellosis cases, begun on 15 Jun 2004 when the associated bacterium was detected in 2 refrigeration towers at the Lozano-Blesa Hospital, led to the confirmation of these 2 new cases in patients who were admitted to this hospital before the outbreak was declared. Public Health technicians from the Aragon Government had also reported the confirmation of 3 other cases related to the outbreak. These cases are currently under study and have been added to the 11 previously confirmed cases. These cases are elderly people who were admitted with legionellosis symptoms and who live near the hospital, or, frequent its surroundings.

In 2003, 43 legionellosis cases were diagnosed in Aragon (27 in Zaragoza, 15 in Huesca, and one in Teruel). There have been 13 fatalities from this disease since 1999 in the autonomous community (11 in Zaragoza and 2 in Huesca).
 

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