Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Sydney city centre rises to eight

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Medic looking at monitors
Health authorities in Sydney say eight people have contracted Legionnaires’ disease in the city. Photograph: Juice Images / Alamy/Alamy

Health authorities in Sydney say eight people have contracted Legionnaires’ disease from an outbreak in the CBD.

Three more people were identified as affected on Friday and it is believed they contracted the disease from a contaminated cooling tower.

Two of the patients were in the CBD region in late February and early this month, while the third contracted the disease in December, NSW Health said.

Five people had earlier been identified, including two who are still in hospital.

The search for the source of the outbreak is concentrating on an area between Druitt, Market, Sussex and Elizabeth Streets.

Anyone who lives, visits or works in the Town Hall area and develops symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease has been urged to visit their doctor.

Symptoms usually begin to appear within six days of being exposed to the bacteria, according to the Victorian government’s better health website. Early symptoms are like the flu and include:

  • headache (often severe)
  • fever
  • chills
  • muscle aches and pains
  • a dry cough and shortness of breath.

Other systems in the body may also be affected. This can cause:

  • diarrhoea
  • mental confusion
  • kidney failure.

If you have these symptoms, see your doctor.

Australian Associated Press contributed to this report