Legionnaires' disease Sydney CBD

Health authorities have issued an urgent warning for people in Sydney after several people have been hospitalised for pneumonia caught from contaminated ...

Watch more on a Melbourne grandfather who died from the disease last year in the video player below NSW Health said public health units across the state follow up every case of Legionnaires’ disease and work closely with local councils in the management of cooling towers. “Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days from the time of exposure to contaminated water particles in the air and include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia,” NSW Health said.

NSW Health is advising people who have been in the Sydney CBD area in the past ten days to be on the lookout for symptoms of Legionnaires' disease.

All five people have been identified with the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, which is often associated with contaminated cooling towers of large buildings. All five people have been admitted to hospital for treatment for pneumonia. NSW Health environmental health officers are working with the City of Sydney to review testing and maintenance records of all cooling towers in the CBD area to prioritise inspection and sampling of potential source towers.