ANKARA

Poland has seen a rise in victims affected by a bacterial disease that has been spreading across the southern regions, local media reported on Friday. 

The legionella bacteria has so far affected 160 patients receiving treatment in Polish hospitals. According to the state-run agency PAP, the number of deaths rose to 22 after the university hospital officials confirmed the death of a 74-year-old in the southeastern city of Rzeszow.

Legionnaires disease is caused by the bacteria first identified in 1977 as the cause of an outbreak of severe pneumonia in a convention center in the US.

The most common form of transmission is inhalation of contaminated aerosols produced in conjunction with water sprays, jets or mists of contaminated water sources, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO's report indicates that a majority of global cases (75-80%) involve individuals over the age of 50, with a majority (60-70%) being male.