Deadly disease spreads in Sydney with three people in hospital: These are the symptoms you need to know

Three people have been hospitalised after contracting the dangerous legionnaires’ disease in Sydney, prompting a warning from health officials.

Anyone who has visited areas near Victoria Park in Camperdown in the past 10 days have been warned to be on high alert for symptoms of the deadly disease, which is a form of pneumonia.

Anyone who visited areas close to the park, including parts of the University of Sydney Camperdown campus, are urged to monitor for symptoms such as a cough, shortness of breath, fevers and a headache.

Two men, aged on their 60s, and a woman, aged in her 70s, were diagnosed with disease after visiting locations surrounding Victoria Park.

NSW Health said the three individuals were admitted to hospital and had since been released.

Sydney Local Health District deputy clinical director of public health Isabel Hess said people could be exposed to the bacteria if contaminated waters from a cooling system were released into the air and breathed in. 

‘Legionnaires’ disease is not spread from person to person. Symptoms of legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days from the time of exposure to contaminated water particles in the air and include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia,’ Dr Hess said.

Three people in Sydney were recently hospitalised with legionnaires’ disease

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

‘Those most at risk are people with underlying lung or other serious health conditions and people who smoke.’

NSW Health said they had directed that cooling towers throughout the area be disinfected and cleaned as a precaution.

The department confirmed one tower at the Camperdown campus of the University of Sydney had returned a positive result for low levels of legionella bacteria and had since been decontaminated.

Sydney Local Health District deputy clinical director of public health Isabel Hess issued a public warning on Thursday