Basel prosecutors investigate deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak

The public prosecutor's office in Basel-Ville has launched a criminal investigation into a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that resulted in one fatality. The probe, initiated on Wednesday, is for negligent homicide, based on the information gathered so far. Judicial police are conducting investigations, and no further details will be released due to the ongoing proceedings.

Two new cases linked to Legionella bacteria infection were reported in the canton of Basel-Ville on Wednesday. One of the infected individuals required hospitalization. This brings the total number of cases associated with the recent outbreak in Basel to 28, as of Wednesday morning. Six individuals remain hospitalized, though one patient who was in intensive care has since been moved out of that unit.

The suspected source of the outbreak is two evaporative cooling towers located on the roof of the Manor headquarters in Kleinbasel. These towers have been taken out of service and are currently under investigation. The outbreak has prompted the Swiss Association for Air and Water Hygiene to issue a call to operators of evaporative cooling systems.

The association emphasized that properly designed and maintained cooling systems pose no health risk. However, they stressed the importance of clearly defined responsibilities, qualified personnel, and strict adherence to recognized technical standards to ensure safe operation.