Zagreb day care closed after Legionella found in water system

A day care center in Zagreb has been temporarily closed after legionella bacteria were detected in its water system during a routine inspection. 

Health inspectors and sanitation crews are on site, while a neighboring primary school in the city's Trešnjevka district is also undergoing testing. No infections have been reported so far.

Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. While the bacteria multiply in water systems, they pose the greatest risk when dispersed as an aerosol and inhaled into the lungs.

“The incubation period is relatively short, lasting about two to ten days,” said Zoran Barušić, deputy director of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević.” “It usually begins with a high fever, with respiratory symptoms appearing a few days later.”

Epidemiologists are now working to disinfect the day care center’s water system. This process involves flushing the system with hot water to kill the bacteria — a method that can be challenging in older buildings or in systems where boilers cannot reach sufficiently high temperatures.