The results from testing of cooling towers in the Burwood LGA and Concord West/Rhodes areas have so far been negative.
As a precaution, the Sydney Local Health District is continuing with routine checks of cooling towers in neighbouring areas, including a small part of the Strathfield LGA, on the border with Burwood.
It is often very difficult to pinpoint the source of an outbreak. The main aim of a public health response is to stop the outbreak continuing as soon as possible by ensuring that cooling towers and other possible sources of infection in a location suspected to be the cause of the outbreak are controlled as quickly as possible. A cooling tower may be only transiently contaminated by Legionella and that cooling tower may be decontaminated before testing can be done.
NSW Health has established a Legionella expert panel to advise the Chief Health Officer on whether any new measures are required to strengthen prevention and control activities. The expert panel comprises public health physicians, environmental health officers, an infectious disease physician, a legal expert, industry experts, mechanical engineer and a local government representative. It is reviewing existing regulations, policies and procedures in place in NSW, how they compare with other jurisdictions, both nationally and internationally, and is looking at lessons learned from the recent outbreak investigations.
For further information on Legionnaires’ disease please visit or call your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.
If you are concerned about any health symptoms, please seek medical advice.