Urgent health warning after three people contract legionnaires’ disease in Potts Point, Sydney

An urgent health warning has been issued in an inner Sydney suburb after three people contracted a potentially deadly disease.

An urgent health warning has been issued for people in an inner Sydney suburb amid several confirmed cases of legionnaires’ disease.

Three people from Potts Point, aged between their 40s and 70s and unknown to one another, have contracted the disease, NSW Health have confirmed.

NSW Health is advising anyone who visited the Potts Point area between June 8 and June 18 to be vigilant and monitor symptoms of the disease.

Three cases of legionnaires’ disease have been traced back to Potts Point in Sydney’s east. Picture: Supplied/ Janice Haney Carr/ Public Health

Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection caused by the legionella bacteria, and can trigger symptoms including a fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath.

Without treatment, the disease can be fatal.

The disease is not spread person to person and can sometimes be caused by environmental sources such as a cooling tower atop a large building, which can become contaminated by the bacteria.

The disease is spread by a bacteria commonly found in cooling systems atop high buildings. NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

South Eastern Sydney local health district public health unit director Vicky Sheppeard said all three of those who contracted the disease have been admitted to hospital.

“People can be exposed to the bacteria if contaminated water particles from a cooling system are emitted into the air and breathed in,” Dr Sheppeard said.

“Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days after exposure.

“Symptoms include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.

“People who develop this disease are diagnosed by a urine or sputum test and chest X-ray and usually require antibiotic treatment in hospital.

“Those most at risk are elderly people, people with underlying lung or other serious health conditions, and people who smoke.”

NSW Health confirmed they were working alongside the City of Sydney and have completed samples of all cooling towers with a 500m radius of the resident’s homes.

All managers of cooling water systems have been urged to disinfect their systems.

“Building owners should ensure that their cooling towers are operated and maintained in compliance with the NSW Public Health Regulation 2022,” a statement read.

The disease has claimed one life since April. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

The outbreak comes after a previous outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease between March and April this year, which infected 12 people and left one dead.

NSW Health confirmed 11 were hospitalised during the outbreak and another was treated out of the hospital.

All of those infected had spent time in the Sydney CBD between March 13 and April 5.

In April, a man in his 50s died from the infection after contracting the disease nearly a month earlier.

Originally published as Urgent health warning after three people contract legionnaires’ disease in Potts Point, Sydney