Overview

• Over 50 percent of water samples from hotels and public buildings on Crete tested positive for Legionella bacteria, raising alarm among health officials.
• A 57-year-old British tourist, Donna Jobling, has been in intensive care since mid-June after developing severe pneumonia linked to a Legionella infection at her hotel.
• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control issued an emergency warning for the affected hotel following her diagnosis, urging immediate remedial action.
• Health experts warn that Legionella thrive in water between 30°C and 40°C and advise keeping water temperatures outside that range and flushing taps for several minutes before use.
• Legionnaires’ disease can lead to severe pneumonia and poses the highest risk to older adults, smokers and those with weakened immune systems.