Health Authorities Warn Sydney Residents Due to Disease Outbreak

(MENAFN) Australian health officials have issued a warning for hundreds of thousands of people in Sydney to stay alert for symptoms following an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, based on local news reports on Thursday.

At least six individuals have been hospitalized after showing symptoms of this potentially lethal disease, though health authorities are still working to identify the source of the outbreak, as reported by a local news broadcaster.

Each individual diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease has had recent exposure to Sydney's bustling city center within the last three weeks, according to authorities.

The New South Wales Health Ministry has urged everyone who has been in the area in the last 10 days, a population numbering in the hundreds of thousands, to watch for signs of the disease. Symptoms to watch for include fever, chills, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Legionnaires' disease can result in serious respiratory conditions, such as pneumonia. Experts believe that symptoms may appear up to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria, which is typically spread through water particles from contaminated cooling systems that are inhaled.

The elderly and those with pre-existing lung or other severe health conditions are particularly vulnerable. In response, health authorities are reviewing the maintenance logs for cooling towers, prioritizing inspections and sampling efforts to track the source of the outbreak.

While the disease is not contagious from person to person, its fatality rate is approximately 10 percent.

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