The Health Authority today determined the "suspension of activity" of a hotel in Faro, "following the notification of four cases of Legionnaires' Disease epidemiologically associated with stay" in that establishment, announced in a statement to the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve.
The victims are "all foreigners and were all hotel customers", and the bacteria did not affect any member of the hotel staff, as he revealed to the Sul Informação Ana Cristina Guerreiro, the Algarve Regional Health Delegate.
The name of the hotel in question is not yet known, nor will it be revealed by the authorities. «We decided, in conjunction with local and regional authorities, not to disclose the name of the hotel unit, for ethical and commercial reasons», explained Ana Cristina Warrior.
“This is a small unit, with no more than 20 rooms. In other words, it's not one of the big hotels in Faro», he said, only.
To what Sul Informação he found out, this is the Hotel Adelaide, a small 2-star unit, located in the heart of the city of Faro.
The alert for the existence of Legionella at this hotel, it was given through an international network, where all cases of people who became ill as a result of travel are reported. “We learned of three of the cases through this international network. In the other case, the patient is admitted to the Hospital of Faro and is in a stable situation», revealed the Regional Health Delegate, who added that there is also no indication that the other affected are in danger.
According to the Regional Health Delegate, the team from the local Public Health Unit carried out the "epidemiological investigation and risk assessment" and collected water samples to search for bacteria of the genus Legionella, 'that have been detected'.
The results of the analyses, carried out by the Regional Public Health Laboratory Dr. Laura Ayres and known this Wednesday, the 2nd, «revealed strong positivity for the species Legionella pneumophila, at various points in the building's supply network», specified ARS do Algarve.
For this reason, the Health Delegate of ACES Central, in a joint intervention with ASAE, ordered the suspension of the hotel's activity.
Speaking to TV channel SIC, Adelaide Santos, the owner of the 2-star Hotel, guaranteed that this "was the first time" that she had had problems of this nature and justified the situation with a faulty water pump. "There is a pump that does not circulate properly," he said, assuring that the necessary works will be done now.
An investment that will even have to be made since, according to the Algarve's ARS, this suspension remains in effect 'until the verification of the effectiveness of contingency procedures, with negative analytical results in the development's water system, as well as the guarantee of implementation of a “Prevention and Control Program” in this context”.
Ana Cristina Guerreiro added that the closure measure “is temporary” and will then be re-evaluated at the request of the hotel unit, when it complies with the requirements made by the authorities.
According to the Regional Health Delegate, “the hotel will have to hire a specialized company for the immediate treatment of the water network. First, an evaluation of the network will be carried out and, if it is recent, the thermal and chemical treatment will be carried out”. The reopening of the small hotel will only take place “when the results are negative”.
The ARS explains that Legionnaires' disease usually presents in the form of pneumonia, causing a clinical condition characterized by tiredness, fever, headaches, muscle pain and coughing.
It is a rare disease that preferentially affects the elderly, smokers, immunocompromised people and people with chronic diseases.
The bacteria causing the disease, designated as Legionella, lives in natural aquatic environments and can contaminate water systems created by man, such as building networks, cooling towers, ornamental fountains, among others.
Infection can happen by inhaling water droplets contaminated with the bacteria. It is a disease that can occur in the form of sporadic cases or an outbreak, registering a greater number of cases usually between the end of summer and autumn.
The Health Authorities and the Directorate General of Health, to whom the situation has already been communicated, continue to monitor this situation.
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