More Than 160 People Affected By Illness Problems

Five people are believed to have died in an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Portugal which has left more than 160 people ill.

Reuters reports that the country’s Health Ministry said the issues emerged in the Vila France de Xira district just outside of Lisbon, with around 24 victims of the outbreak being treated in intensive care in hospitals in the region.

Work is now underway to determine the cause of the problems, with no source yet being identified by authorities.

Portugal’s president Anibal Cavaco Silva has offered condolences to the victims and their families.

Expert Opinion

Very little is so far known regarding these problems and it is clear that all of those affected will be desperate for answers as to how this outbreak came to occur. <br/> <br/>"Our work on behalf of victims of fatal Legionnaires’ outbreaks in both Edinburgh and Stoke-on-Trent in recent years means we have seen the devastating consequences that such issues can have on families and communities as a whole. <br/> <br/>"The seriousness of such illnesses cannot be underestimated and it is vital that public health authorities in Portugal continue to work quickly to locate the source of these problems in order to minimise the risk of further cases. <br/> <br/>"It is also vital that everything possible is done to learn lessons from these terrible problems so safety standards can improve in the future." Suki Chhokar - Partner