The centre of one of Australia’s biggest city’s has become the centre of an urgent health alert after several struck down with a debilitating illness.
Health authorities are issuing a health warning to Sydney residents – following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the CBD. Five people have been admitted to hospital with the bacterial infection. Symptoms include fever, chills, a cough, and shortness of breath.
NSW Health issued a health alert on Wednesday for anyone who visited the city centre since Christmas Eve, or the past 10 days, to monitor for symptoms including coughing, fever, shortness of breath and headaches.
It comes after three women and four men, aged from their 20s to 70s, were admitted to hospital with pneumonia before being identified to have been carrying the legionella bacteria, which causes legionnaires’ disease.
The people are believed to have visited locations in the Sydney’s CBD between Bathurst St, Sussex St, Elizabeth St and Circular Quay, all locations frequented over the holiday period, in the 10 days prior to their symptoms.
People who visited Sydney’s CBD over Christmas and the New Years have been issued a health alert. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer
NSW Health said symptoms of legionnaires’ disease could develop up to 10 days after the time of exposure to contaminated water particles in the air and can lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.
The disease cannot be spread from person to person. Instead, it is usually spread by contaminated water particles emitted by a cooling system. Smokers and those with underlying health and lung problems are most at risk.
NSW Health said environmental health officers were working closely with the City of Sydney Council to inspect cooling towers and that a review of maintenance records of could help determine further towers to be inspected.
“Managers of buildings with cooling towers are being contacted and informed of the cluster. Building owners should ensure that their cooling towers are operated and maintained in compliance with regulation,” they said.
“Public health units in local health districts across NSW follow up cases of Legionnaires’ disease and work closely with local councils in the management of cooling towers.
“Routine monthly testing of cooling towers allows the early identification of contaminated towers and allows for prompt additional cleaning and corrective actions.”
A variant of legionnaires’ disease can also be spread through soil and potting mix. In September, NSW Health said as many as 52 people had been exposed to the disease as a result of people breathing in the bacteria from soil.