Bartłomiej Zborowski/PAP

The results of tests on samples taken from a municipal water supply, which is suspected as being the source of a deadly outbreak of legionella bacterium in the south-eastern city of Rzeszow, will be known on Monday, the city’s mayor said on Thursday.

So far five people have died and 76 have needed hospital treatment owing to the outbreak of the bacterium, which can cause Legionnaires disease, a sometimes lethal form of pneumonia.

Victims of the outbreak are now being treated in hospitals in Rzeszow, the Rzeszow region and in the surrounding cities of Debica and Przemysl.

Konrad Fijolek, the mayor of the south-eastern city, said at a press conference that the municipal authorities together with the sanitary inspectorate are looking for the source of the bacterium.

At the moment the local water supply is under suspicion and the results of tests “will be known on Monday” said Fijolek.

He added that the homes and locations of where the victims have stayed are also being investigated.

“Nothing indicates any correlation,” said Fijolek, adding that the only certainty so far is that the infections are connected to water.

“Due to the special weather conditions, we have decided to increase the doses of chlorine, UV rays and ozone used for (water – PAP) treatment to the maximum,” he said.

He also said that disinfection of the system will take place on Saturday, and a rinsing process is planned for Sunday.