An outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in southeastern Poland has killed 19 people, health officials said on Saturday.
The outbreak hit the city of Rzeszow and surrounding areas.
Rzeszow’s health department said that all those who died also had other illnesses.
Around 160 people in the region have been infected with the bacterium that causes the disease, including 107 people in the city of Rzeszow.
Earlier this week, authorities said that the number of infections was unprecedented in the region.
Rzeszow lies some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Poland’s border with Ukraine and is a major transit hub for military aid for Kyiv.
Legionnaire’s disease is a lung infection caused by the Legionella bacterium, which can bring about flu-like symptoms and even severe pneumonia.
Legionella bacteria can infect humans through inhaled water spray, including from showers, humidifiers, air conditioners or taps. It does not spread through drinking water.
The disease is usually contracted in hotels, hospitals, and offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply.
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