Infant infected with Legionella shows signs of recovery as hospital source is cleared

A newborn, who has been treated for two weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Makarios Hospital after contracting Legionella, has been successfully extubated. The infant is currently breathing with non-invasive mechanical support and showing overall improvement in health, according to Charalambos Charilaou, spokesperson for the State Health Services Organization (OKYpY).

The case previously led to the temporary suspension of operations at the Nicosia Polyclinic, the facility where the infant was born, after initial tests identified traces of Legionella pneumophila in two peripheral points of its water network. However, official laboratory and epidemiological investigations have concluded that there is no connection between the clinic’s water system and the infection. Experts determined that the infant was exposed to the bacteria in an environment outside the hospital.

During its period of suspension, the Nicosia Polyclinic completed a full thermal and chemical disinfection of its water supply system and installed specialized microbial retention filters. The facility has since resumed operations following the verification of safety protocols. The infant remains in the ICU under close medical supervision as doctors continue to monitor for further recovery.