The relevant departments of the Ministry of Health are on high alert following the detection of a case of Legionnaires' disease in a newborn born at a private clinic in Nicosia. The newborn is being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Makarios Hospital, while preliminary tests revealed the presence of the Legionella pneumophila bacterium in parts of the private clinic’s water supply system.
Read more: Legionellosis in a newborn: Clinic operations suspended—what the Ministry of Health says
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This development led the Ministry of Health to decide to temporarily suspend operations at the entire hospital until additional inspections are completed and their results are evaluated. Initially, instructions were given to close the floor where the incident occurred, while mothers and children were transferred to other facilities and hospitals.
Read more: Newborn with Legionnaires’ disease: Floor of the private clinic where the infant was being treated closed; patients and staff are being tested
According to reports, patients and staff are being tested to determine whether there are any other cases of Legionnaires’ disease. The Ministry of Health announced that the remaining newborns were transferred to other hospitals, while additional environmental inspections of the clinic’s facilities have already been scheduled.
At the same time, the relevant authorities have stepped up epidemiological surveillance, notifying hospitals and pediatricians. According to the Ministry’s official statement, no other suspected or confirmed cases linked to this particular clinic have been identified so far.
Despite the detection of the bacterium in the water supply system, the exact source of the newborn’s infection remains under investigation. The completion of laboratory and environmental tests is expected to provide further answers, while no new details regarding the infant’s health condition have been released.
Read more: What is Legionnaires’ disease and how is it transmitted?
Legionellosis is a bacterial infection of the respiratory system that can cause severe pneumonia. It is not transmitted from person to person, but primarily through the inhalation of microscopic water droplets containing the bacterium. The Ministry of Health assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to protect patients, with particular emphasis on newborns.
