Do not be alarmed, folks. Everything’s gonna be fine.
An outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease in the Melbourne CBD is being contained and controlled by Department of Health and Human Services officials, after 5 people were hospitalised with cases of the illness.
At least eighty-nine water systems and three buildings are being disinfected following an investigation that incorporated the area of the city lying within a 500-metre radius of the corner of Little Bourke and Russell Streets. The units and buildings being decontaminated cover an area east of Elizabeth Street, right up to Spring Street on the CBD’s fringe.
The five confirmed cases concerned men and women between the ages of 51 and 71, all of whom reported visiting or working in the city in the days immediately prior to them falling ill.
All five affected by the disease have successfully been treated by hospital staff with antibiotics, and are expected to recover fully.
Health officials asserted that the number of people affected by the illness in such a short space of time is “unusual.”
Legionnaire’s Disease is a rare form of pneumonia that is contracted by inhaling water droplets contaminated with the legionella bacteria. People over 50, heavy smokers, and people with chronic illnesses are considered most at-risk of contracting the disease.
DHHS officials have asserted that the Melbourne CBD is safe to enter, but urges anyone who has visited the Melbourne CBD between late March and early April who is now experiencing flu-like symptoms to consult with their GP.
See? It’s fine. Everything is fine.
Source: Yahoo! News.
Photo: Media for Medical/Getty.
