Legionella has been confirmed as the cause behind a cluster of pneumonia cases at a private health clinic in the Tucumán province of Argentina, according to a Sept. 3 update from the World Health Organization.
The ministry of health in Argentina confirmed 11 cases, including four deaths in patients with comorbidities. Health officials in the country are still investigating the source of the Legionella bacteria, and WHO officials are assisting with infection control measures within the facility.
Health officials last week notified the WHO of the cluster of cases, describing it as "pneumonia of unknown origin." At the time, no origin had been identified and early testing ruled out COVID-19, flu and other respiratory viruses.
Legionnaires' disease is most commonly transmitted through inhalation of contaminated water droplets.