Legionnaires' outbreak in Linz, Austria grows to 29 cases as investigators eye a cooling tower
Austrian health authorities say the Legionella outbreak in Linz has grown to 29 confirmed cases and three deaths since it began July 20. Investigators have traced part of the outbreak to a cooling tower on Wiener Strasse, though the search for other possible sources continues.
Austrian health authorities say the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Linz has grown to 29 confirmed cases and three deaths since it began July 20, 2026. Investigators from Austria's AGES agency traced part of the outbreak to a cooling tower on Wiener Strasse, where samples tested positive for Legionella, and three confirmed patients carried a genetically related strain pointing to a shared source. Authorities have stopped short of confirming the cooling tower as the sole source, and checks of other water systems in the region continue. The tower has since been cleaned and disinfected.