The mystery of the fatal pneumonia in Argentina is solved!

The province of Tucunam, in the northwest of Argentina, has recorded its fifth victim of bilateral pneumonia, the origin of which escaped doctors until then. ” This is a 64-year-old man with comorbiditieswho was in serious condition in a public hospital “, specifies, AFP. The eleven people who submitted symptoms similar — including six still under treatment, three in serious condition and five who have since died — were infected with a bacterium identified today: a legionella. L’species precise is still under investigation.

Legionella, bacilli present everywhere

Legionella (genus Legionella) are bacilli intra-cellular which are naturally present in water and wetlands. In the environment, they infect amoebas and others protozoa but, in the human body, they take refuge in the macrophages alveolar and thus escape the phagocytosis — the human body’s first line of defense against pathogens. They replicate in these cells, which eventually die, then seek to infect others.

This environment cytotoxic is harmful to lungs and leads to the onset of fatal pneumonia in the most vulnerable. This clinical manifestation is known as Legionnaire’s disease. Legionella also cause, in 95% of cases, mild infections known as fever from Pontiac. The contamination is done by suction orinhalation ofaerosols contaminated.

In Argentina, the source of the contamination remains to be determined. ” Measures are underway in the clinic to identify [si l’agent bactérien] is in the water, and on the accumulator tank [afin de pouvoir] use the clinic again without any risk “Explained Ms. Vizzotti, the Argentine Minister of Health. Indeed, Legionella are known to form biofilms that are difficult to eradicate, especially in pipelines. In France, there are about 1,500 cases of legionellosis each year, 10% of which are fatal.