LISBON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The number of people infected in the latest Legionella outbreak in Portugal climbed to 13 on Wednesday, the country's Directorate-General of Health (DGS) announced.
The outbreak was first reported on Sunday, with 4 cases detected at the CUF Descobertas Hospital in Lisbon.
The number of infected has since risen to 13, of whom 9 are female and 3 are in intensive care.
The hospital's shower system is thought to be the most likely cause, with sink taps being investigated too.
Legionella is a bacteria that lives in water. It is best known as the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease, a serious form of pneumonia.
In 2017, 233 cases of Legionella were detected in Portugal.
In 2014, a Legionella outbreak in Vila Franca de Xira, a region in the east of Lisbon district, infected 375 and killed 12.
