Since July 20, a total of 26 people have fallen ill, and three individuals have died in recent days, according to a statement to the news agency AFP.
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Officials say that the legionella bacteria – the disease-causing bacterium – was found in the cooling towers of a company in Linz.
However, despite intensive investigations and initial findings, it cannot yet be confidently stated that the true source has been identified, the institution added.
24 patients are being treated in hospital, some of them in intensive care, and two other affected individuals live abroad but had visited Linz before becoming infected, the statement said.
Legionellosis is contracted through legionella bacteria found in water and soil. The severity of the disease ranges from a mild flu-like condition to a severe and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia.
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Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, and sometimes coughing up blood.
The disease is treated with antibiotics and does not spread directly between people. Outbreaks are often linked to poorly maintained air conditioning and water systems, humidifiers, and whirlpool baths.
Earlier this month, Basel in Switzerland reported that 26 people fell ill due to a legionellosis outbreak, and one died.
