NSW Health has issued an urgent alert for Sydneysiders after several people caught Legionnaires’ disease in the city’s CBD over the New Year’s holiday period.
Three days into 2024 the state government has issued a health alert for folks in Sydney after three women and four men, aged in their 20s to 70s, were hospitalised for pneumonia.
According to NSW Health, all of the patients have been identified with Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease.
Legionnaire’s disease is a non-contagious condition that can be contracted via inhaling small droplets of water contaminated with Legionella bacteria, most likely through contaminated cooling towers in buildings.
It is reported that these people visited various locations in the CBD — such as Bathurst Street, Sussex Street, Elizabeth Street and Circular Quay — in the past 10 days prior to their symptoms.
The alert comes days after more than a million people travelled to Sydney city to witness the spectacular New Year’s fireworks display.
Here are some of the things to know following NSW Health’s alert for Legionnaires’ disease.
How can you get Legionnaires’ disease?
As mentioned previously, NSW Health says that Legionnaires’ is often associated with contaminated cooling towers of large buildings.
“People can be exposed to the bacteria if contaminated water particles from a cooling system are emitted into the air and breathed in,” it wrote.
A person cannot catch Legionnaires from another person who has the sickness.
What are the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease?
According to NSW Health, symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days from when you’ve been exposed to the bacteria. The symptoms include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath, which could escalate to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.
How is Legionnaires’ disease treated?
Patients who have been identified with the disease will undergo a urine or sputum test — where you cough up and “expel” material from your lungs into a sterile cup — and a chest X-ray. They are then required to take antibiotic treatment in hospital.
Following the urgent health alert, NSW Health says its health officers are “working closely with the City of Sydney Council” to inspect cooling towers in the CBD area.
NSW Health has also provided online sources for people to learn more about Legionnaires’ disease as well as Legionella control.
Image source: Getty Images / Izhar Khan/NurPhoto
