Thousands are being warned to be on the lookout for symptoms following an outbreak of legionnaires diseases in a major city.
Health officials have advised anyone who has been in the Sydney CBD in the past 10 days to be on the lookout for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.
Five people who have since been hospitalised were infected with the bacteria that causes the disease, having spent time in the area in the past three weeks.
Legionnaires is often associated with contaminated cooling towers of large buildings and results from breathing in contaminated water particles.
Symptoms include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath which can lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.
Two women and three men, ranging in age from their 40s to 70s, that have tested positive spent time between Museum Station, York Street, Park Street and Martin Place.
Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread from person to person.
It follows a number of other cases recently detected across Sydney.
Environmental health officers are working with the City of Sydney to review testing and maintenance records of all cooling towers in the CBD.
“Public Health Units across NSW follow up every case of Legionnaires’ disease and work closely with local councils in the management of cooling towers,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“Routine testing of cooling towers helps identify contamination early and allows for prompt cleaning and corrective actions.”
Originally published as Health warning…
