Health authorities have ordered the temporary suspension of operations at a private clinic in Nicosia after Legionella pneumophila bacteria was detected in its water supply system following the diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease in a newborn baby.
The infant, who was delivered at the private facility, was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Archbishop Makarios III Hospital in Nicosia, where they are currently undergoing treatment. State health officials did not disclose details regarding the baby’s condition.
The Ministry of Health announced on Friday evening that preliminary testing conducted by environmental health inspectors confirmed the presence of the waterborne bacteria at multiple points across the clinic’s plumbing infrastructure.
Following an emergency evaluation of the findings, officials issued a preventive closure order for the facility pending comprehensive decontamination, flushing, and follow-up testing.
All other newborns housed at the facility have been safely transferred to alternative hospitals, while public health teams have initiated heightened epidemiological surveillance across pediatric departments and hospital networks to monitor for potential additional cases.
Ministry officials confirmed that no other suspected or confirmed cases linked to the facility have been identified to date.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in complex water distribution systems, cooling towers, and plumbing networks.
The infection is not transmitted from person to person but is contracted by inhaling aerosolised water droplets containing the bacteria.
