VIENNA, Aug 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Three people have died in an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Linz region of Austria, authorities said in a statement sent to AFP on Friday.

"A total of 26 people have fallen ill" since July 20 and "three people have unfortunately died in recent days," Austria's national health agency said in the statement.

Cooling towers belonging to a company in Linz have tested positive for legionella, the bacterium that causes the disease, authorities said.

However, "despite ongoing intensive investigations and initial findings, it cannot yet be stated with certainty that the source responsible has already been identified," the agency added.

Twenty-four patients have been treated in hospital, some in intensive care, while two further affected individuals live abroad but were in Linz before their infection, the statement said.

Legionnaires' disease is caused by exposure to the legionella bacterium found in water and soil. It ranges in severity from a mild influenza-like illness to a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea and sometimes coughing up blood.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics and does not spread directly between humans. Outbreaks are often linked to poorly maintained air conditioning and water systems, humidifiers and whirlpool spas.

Early this month, the Swiss city of Basel said an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease caused 26 people to fall ill with one death.