In order to tailor the site to your needs, please click the button that relates best to you.
So long as you have cookies enabled you will only need to do this once. However, you can change your selection at any time using the dropdown navigation option above the CESPHN logo, top left.
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District is advising people who have been in the Hurstville area in the past month to be on the lookout for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.
The Public Health Unit launched an investigation into cooling towers in the area to check for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease, following the notification of two cases of Legionnaires’ disease this month.
Both cases spent time in or near the Hurstville town centre during the time period.
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Acting Director of Public Health, Dr Vicky Sheppeard, said symptoms 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.
“People who develop this disease are diagnosed by chest X-ray and a urine test and usually require antibiotic treatment in hospital,” Dr Sheppeard said.
Public Health Units in local health districts across NSW follow up every case of Legionnaires’ disease and work closely with local councils in the management of cooling towers. Routine testing of cooling towers helps identify contamination early and allows for prompt cleaning and corrective actions.
In 2018 NSW Health strengthened the Public Health Regulation to reduce the community’s risk of Legionnaires’ disease, requiring building owners to conduct risk assessments and monthly tests on cooling towers and notify high levels of Legionella and other bacteria to local councils.
Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread from person to person. Outbreaks of the disease are most frequently linked to contaminated water cooling systems of air conditioning plants in large buildings.
Welcome to our new website! As you may have noticed, our website looks different. Central and Eastern Sydney PHN have moved to a new site and although much has remained the same, we have introduced some new functions. These include: Updated navigation When you land on our new website, you…
COVID-19 weekly update – 02 JANUARY 2023 COVID-19 cases in the region Please note: From next week the latest COVID-19 information will be included in the Sydney Health Weekly newsletter, rather than separated at the top. We will still provide COVID-19 related information as well as the dedicated COVID-19 latest…
FIVE QUESTIONS is where we ask members of the community to talk about how they stay HEALTHY. Randwick scientist and grandmother Hilda Stender shared this: What exercise did you do yesterday? I’ve had two knee replacements – one four years ago and the other six months ago. As a result,…
Immunisation weekly update – 1 February 2023 Childhood immunisation overdue reports CESPHN is inviting general practices to sign up to receive a regular report extracted on your behalf from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) which is specific to your practice. This report contains all children aged 0-5 living in the CESPHN region…
Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) digital health webinars Implementing MyHealth Record Policies in your organisation Thu 9 Feb 23, 12.30-1.00 pm – learn how to implement and maintain a My Health Record Security and Access policy in your organisation. Understand the importance of the Responsible Officer (RO) and Organisational Maintenance…
UNSW research – Palliative care and intellectual disability A research team led by Professor Julian Trollor at the Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry, UNSW Sydney, aims to design, implement, and evaluate a new palliative care service for people with intellectual disability. This is important because people with intellectual disability often…
GP support needed: Shared e-Care plan study for follow-up of colorectal and breast cancers This research evaluates shared care using a new interactive e-care plan being implemented through cancer services in Prince of Wales and St George public and private hospitals. Through the e-care plan GPs, cancer specialists and patients…