Updated Sunday, 4 September 2022 – 12:34The Argentine Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, during the press conference in which she spoke about the origin of the outbreak.AFPBrote Argentina, on alert for the third death due to pneumonia of unknown origin The cause of the cases of pneumonia of unknown origin detected in Tucumán (Argentina) was the Legionella bacterium. This has been confirmed by the country’s health authorities investigating this outbreak that has caused 11 people affected, four of whom have died. “The etiological agent causing the outbreak of bilateral pneumonia is Legionella,” Carla Vizzotti, Minister of Argentine Health. “The last name of the bacterium is being typified, although it is possible that it is (Legionella) pneumophila,” he said. Last Saturday the death of the fourth patient, a 48-year-old man who was hospitalized in serious condition, was reported. it occurred in a private clinic in Tucumn (1,300 km north of Buenos Aires), especially among health personnel, with patients who presented the first symptoms as of last August 18. Legionella bacteria are naturally found in living environments. fresh water, such as lakes and streams. These bacteria can become a health concern when they multiply and spread in buildings’ artificial water systems, such as shower heads and sink faucets; cooling towers (structures containing water and a fan as part of the centralized air cooling system in buildings or industrial processes); whirlpool tubs; fountains and decorative accessories with water; hot water tanks and water heaters or large and complex piping systems. The Argentine Ministry of Health is trying to identify the source of the infection, for which it is taking samples and analyzing possible outbreaks in the health clinic where the cases have occurred. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is expected to send a multidisciplinary team of experts next week to support the tasks of identifying the focus and surveillance of the disease. The Covid, the flu, or the hantavirus, among other agents, had been ruled out as a cause from the first moments in which the contagion was known. The treatment of the infection contemplates the administration of antibiotics for several weeks or even months. According to the criteria of The Trust Project Learn more