Australia: Legionnaires' disease health alert issued for Sydney

IANS April 10, 2025 179 views

Health authorities in New South Wales have issued a critical alert after five confirmed Legionnaires' disease cases emerged in Sydney's central business district. The investigation is ongoing, with no single identified source of infection currently pinpointed. Legionnaires' disease is a serious pneumonia-like illness caused by Legionella bacteria, which can spread through contaminated water systems like air conditioning units. Residents and visitors are advised to be aware of potential symptoms and seek medical attention if they develop flu-like conditions after visiting the Sydney CBD.

"People walking outside or driving past may be exposed if they inhale aerosolised contaminated water" - NSW Health Department
Sydney, April 10: Health authorities of Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW) have issued a public health alert for Legionnaires' disease in central Sydney.

Key Points

1

Five confirmed Legionnaires' cases linked to Sydney CBD

2

Bacteria potentially spread through contaminated water systems

3

Symptoms develop 2-10 days after exposure

4

WHO notes mortality risk up to 80% for vulnerable patients

The NSW health department said that five people with recent cases of confirmed Legionnaires' disease all visited Sydney's CDB during their exposure period.

The alert said that the five patients developed symptoms between March 30 and April 4 after spending time in central Sydney, reports Xinhua news agency.

It said that "no single source" of the infection has been identified, and it is possible that the cases are "unrelated" but that an investigation of a potential source area is underway.

Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia caused by infection with Legionella bacteria, which is found naturally in freshwater. Symptoms typically develop between 2-10 days after exposure and can initially include headaches, fever and a mild cough.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality rate from the disease is usually within the range of 5-10 per cent but can be as high as 80 per cent for untreated immuno-suppressed patients.

NSW Health said that the bacteria could contaminate air conditioning cooling towers, spas, shower heads, and other bodies of water.

"People walking outside or driving past may be exposed if they inhale aerosolised contaminated water," it said.

It advised NSW clinicians to consider Legionnaires' disease as a diagnosis for patients presenting with consistent symptoms, especially those who travel to the Sydney CDB in the 10 days prior to symptoms developing.

Reader Comments

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Sarah K.
This is so concerning! I work in the CBD and had no idea you could get infected just by walking past contaminated areas. Stay safe everyone! 😷
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Michael T.
The article mentions cooling towers - shouldn't building owners be required to do more frequent testing? This seems preventable with proper maintenance.
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Lisa P.
My uncle had this years ago - it's no joke. Took him months to fully recover. Good on NSW Health for being proactive with this alert.
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James W.
The mortality rate stats are scary, but the article could clarify that most healthy people recover with proper treatment. Still important to be aware though.
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Aisha R.
I appreciate the detailed info about symptoms and exposure period. Very helpful for those of us who've been in the CBD recently.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Legionnaires' Disease Sydney Health Alert NSW Health Public Health Warning Bacterial Infection
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