Anyone who has visited an inner-city Sydney suburb has been urged to look out for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease after an outbreak of the illness.

Residents and visitors of Potts Point within the last 10 days should remain alert for any signs of the illness, such as fever, chills, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Three people from the suburb aged between their 40s and 70s have recently developed the illness and are not known to each other.

All three have been admitted to hospital, the South East Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit Director, Dr Vicky Sheppeard, said.

“Exposure to the bacteria can occur if contaminated water droplets from cooling systems are released into the air and inhaled,” noted Sheppeard.

“Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days after exposure.

“Symptoms include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.

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

“Those most at risk are elderly people, people with underlying lung or other serious health conditions, and people who smoke.”

NSW Health has not disclosed a possible source for the outbreak.

The illness is not spread from person to person but when bacteria from environmental sources, like cooling towers, become contaminated.

NSW Health advises that building owners make sure their cooling towers are being managed and maintained according to the standards set by the NSW Public Health Regulation 2022.