12th Resident Dies Of Legionnaires’

An 88-year-old man became the 12th resident of a Spanish town to die from Legionnaires’ disease, health officials said Wednesday.

More than 200 people have been treated for pneumonia since late August at a hospital in Alcala de Henares, a university town of 165,000 people 15 miles northeast of Madrid.

Officials at the Principe de Asturias hospital said 33 people remain hospitalized for pneumonia. Health officials said laboratory tests show 31 percent of the pneumonia patients have Legionnaires’ disease.

The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease lives in hot-water systems, showers, whirlpools and condensers and, under the right conditions, can breed to deadly levels.

Chlorination of the water supply has been increased and residents have been urged to disinfect their faucets and shower heads with vinegar, and to take baths instead of showers.