Sydney Issues Health Alert as Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak Hospitalizes Six

NSW Health is investigating cooling towers in the CBD to identify the source of the outbreak, with those recently in the area urged to monitor for symptoms.

• Six individuals who recently spent time in Sydney's CBD have been hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease over the past three weeks.
• NSW Health is reviewing maintenance records of cooling towers in the CBD as part of efforts to trace the source of the outbreak.
• People who visited the area in the last 10 days are advised to watch for symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, and shortness of breath.
• Legionnaires' disease is caused by inhaling contaminated water particles, often from improperly maintained cooling systems, and is not spread person-to-person.
• Elderly individuals, smokers, and those with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for severe illness, which can lead to pneumonia and has a 10% fatality rate in past outbreaks.

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