More legionnaires' Disease cases sweep Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
*More legionnaires' Disease cases sweep Australia*
January 20, 2007 10:51am
Article from: AAP
THREE further cases of potentially fatal legionnaires' disease have been
reported in NSW, two of them linked to a recent outbreak at Sydney's
Circular Quay on New Year's Eve.
NSW Health said one man aged in his 50s is in a critical condition in an
intensive care unit in a Sydney hospital, while another man, also in his
50s, has now been discharged from a private hospital.
The third victim, a woman in her 40s, sought care from her GP and has
recovered at home.
Seven cases of legionnaires' disease in NSW have now been reported this
week. While two of the new legionnaires' cases could be linked to the
outbreak of the disease in four other men, an investigation into the
cause of the third case was now underway, NSW Health said in a statement.
The department on Wednesday reported four men, aged in their 50s and
60s, had contracted the severe form of pneumonia after attending New
Year's Eve celebrations at Circular Quay on December 31.
One of the men has since been discharged from hospital while the other
three remain in a stable condition.
Before the latest three cases were reported, NSW Health had believed the
likelihood of any further cases linked to the New Year's Eve outbreak
was remote as the incubation period had passed.
Investigations into the source of the Circular Quay outbreak have been
focused on air conditioning cooling towers in the area, with test
results expected early next week.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, chills, a dry cough, muscle
aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite and diarrhoea.
It can take from two to 10 days for the symptoms to show from the onset
of the disease.
Anyone displaying these symptoms is advised to seek medical advice.