Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales issued a health warning on Thursday for an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in central Sydney.

NSW Health advised anyone who has visited the inner-Sydney suburb of Potts Point in the last 10 days to be vigilant for symptoms of legionnaires’ disease, including a fever, chills, shortness of breath and a cough.

The warning came after three Potts Points residents aged from their 40s to their 70s had developed a severe lung infection.

Vicky Sheppeard, director of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit, said in a statement that all three people, who are not known to each other, have been hospitalised.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by infection with the Legionella bacteria.

It cannot spread from person to person, but a person can become infected if water particles from a contaminated source, such as a rooftop cooling system, are emitted into the air and inhaled.

“Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days after exposure,” Ms Sheppeard said.

NSW Health stated that environmental officers investigating the source of the legionella contamination have inspected and sampled all cooling towers within a 500-meter radius of the three residents’ homes.

All managers of cooling water systems in the investigation area have been asked to disinfect their systems.

(Xinhua/NAN)