One dead in legionnaires’ disease outbreak
3rd August 2026
SWITZERLAND: Two cooling towers have been shut down during a legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Basel which has so far seen 26 confirmed cases and one death.
All but one of the confirmed cases in the canton of Basel-Stadt have been hospitalised, with nine are still receiving inpatient treatment. Seven people required intensive care.
The affected patients indicate a cluster of infections in central Kleinbasel. Isolated cases have also occurred in other districts.
The cluster suggests one or more common sources of infection and investigations have focused on cooling towers. Of the ten facilities tested in the vicinity of the cluster, eight showed exceedances of the limit for legionella bacteria.
The two towers which exhibited elevated levels of legionella pneumophila were shut down last Friday (July 31). Both facilities are located on the roof of an office building on Rebgasse in the heart of the Altstadt and are currently undergoing remediation.
The Department of Health has asked operators of larger industrial plants using wet cooling systems, which are not subject to mandatory reporting, to contact the Cantonal Laboratory.
