European Center for Disease Control and Prevention: European Countries Should Be Vigilant of Legionnaires' Disease | Europe
The latest statistical data released by the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the 3rd shows that in 2021, 2.4 out of every 100000 people in the European Union and the European Economic Area countries suffered from Legion's disease, which has surged to a historic high. The institution reminds European countries to remain vigilant about this.
The report released by the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 2021, the European Union and European Economic Area countries reported over 10700 cases of Legionnaires' disease, including 704 deaths. Italy, France, Spain, and Germany account for 75% of the total reported cases. Men aged 65 and above are the most severely affected group, with 8.9 out of every 100000 people infected.
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the reasons for the surge in Legionnaires' diseases are still unclear, which may be related to changes in national testing policies and monitoring systems, aging populations, as well as factors such as the design of building water supply systems, infrastructure construction and maintenance. Climate change in Europe and globally will also have an impact on the surge of Legion's disease.
Legionnaires disease is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Legionella, named after its initial outbreak at a veterans rally in the United States. The main symptoms are fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, and muscle pain, and in severe cases, death may occur due to respiratory and multiple organ failure. Legionella can spread through airflow and other means, especially through unclean water-cooled air conditioners, without direct human to human transmission. Hospitals can confirm the diagnosis through chest X-rays and urine tests, and patients usually need to be admitted for antibiotic treatment.