阿根廷一场导致11人患病、4人死亡的神秘疫情已经得到解决。
卫生当局表示，这种疾病可能是由军团菌引起的，这种细菌会导致军团病。
疫情已被控制在圣米格尔·德图库曼的一家诊所，该市是图库曼省的首府，位于布宜诺斯艾利斯西北670英里处。
卫生部长卡拉·维佐蒂说在新闻发布会上周日，死亡患者的四个样本(包括血液、呼吸道和组织样本)检测呈细菌阳性。
“检测到了军团菌的基因组，”她告诉记者。"怀疑是嗜肺军团菌。"
Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, second left, representative in Argentina of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Eva Jane Llopis and provincial Health Minister Luis Medina Ruiz during a press conference in Tucuman, Argentina, Sept. 3, 2022.
图库曼省卫生部/法新社
然而，她说结果是初步的，进一步的测试正在进行中。
“军团菌”是一种严重的肺炎，由吸入小水滴中的细菌或意外吞咽含有军团菌的水引起。
这种疾病不会传染，但是如果细菌感染了，疾病就会爆发一栋建筑的供水系统包括淋浴头、水槽龙头、热水箱、加热器和其他管道系统。
虽然大多数人使用抗生素可以从军团病中康复，但某些患者，包括免疫功能低下或患有慢性肺部疾病的患者，可能会出现致命的并发症。
根据世界卫生组织这些病例出现在8月18日至8月25日之间，患者抱怨发烧、肌肉疼痛、腹痛和呼吸困难，并伴有肺炎症状。
在这11例病例中，8例是诊所的卫生工作者，3例是病人。四分之三的死亡发生在卫生工作者中。
根据世卫组织的数据，这些病例的平均年龄为45岁，其中7例为男性。10人有潜在的疾病，使他们处于严重疾病的风险中，包括4例死亡。
截至9月3日，仍有四人住院，三人在家康复。
阿根廷卫生当局表示，他们正在进行接触追踪，以防止疾病的进一步传播。在迄今已确认的接触者中，没有人出现症状。
世卫组织在一份声明中说:“阿根廷以前曾报道过零星的军团菌肺炎疫情。”。"在受影响的卫生设施中正在实施强有力的监测活动."
声明继续说，“尽管如此，在没有确定的军团菌来源的情况下，在同一卫生机构工作或住院的人患军团菌病的风险目前是中等的。”
Mysterious outbreak in Argentina solved: Legionnaires' disease behind illness that sickened 11
A mysterious outbreak that sickened 11 people in Argentina, killing four, has been solved.
Health authorities said the illness was likely caused by Legionella, the bacteria that leads toLegionnaires' disease.
The outbreak has been contained to a health clinic in San Miguel de Tucumán, which is the capital city of Tucumán province and is located 670 miles northwest of Buenos Aires.
Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti saidduring a press conferenceSunday that four samples -- including blood, respiratory and tissues samples -- of the deceased patients tested positive for the bacteria.
"The genome of the Legionella bacterium was detected," she told reporters. "The suspicion is that it is Legionella pneumophila."
However, she said the results are preliminary and further testing is being conducted.
Legionnaires' is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the bacteria in small droplets of water or accidentally swallowing water containing Legionella.
The disease is not contagious, but outbreaks can spread if the bacteria getinto a building's water supplyincluding in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters and other plumbing systems.
Although most people recover from Legionnaires' with antibiotics, certain patients -- including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases -- can develop complications that can be fatal.
According to theWorld Health Organization, the cases appeared between Aug. 18 and Aug. 25 with patients complaining of fever, muscle aches, abdominal pain and difficulty breathing along with pneumonia symptoms.
Of the 11 cases, eight were among the clinic's health workers and three were among patients. Three of the four deaths occurred among health workers.
The median age of the cases is 45 and seven are male, according to the WHO. Ten people had underlying conditions that put them at risk for severe disease, including the four deaths.
As of Sept. 3, four people remain hospitalized and three are recovering at home.
Argentinian health authorities said they are conducting contract tracing to prevent further spread of the disease. Of the contacts that have been identified so far, none have developed symptoms.
"Sporadic outbreaks of legionellosis pneumonia have been reported in Argentina before," the WHO said in a statement. "There are robust surveillance activities being implemented in the affected health facility."
The statement continued, "Nonetheless, in the absence of an identified source of Legionella bacteria, the risk of developing Legionellosis for people working or hospitalized at the same health facility is currently moderate."
