Legionnaires' disease is becoming more common in Australia. What's behind the increase in cases?

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Legionnaires' disease is becoming more common in Australia. What's behind the increase in cases?
Legionnaires' DiseaseLegionella PneumophilaPublic Health
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Over the last three decades, legionnaires' disease has grown in Australia, particularly in NSW where cases have increased by over 600 per cent. Scientists aren't certain why, but they have theories.

Over the last two decades, health bodies across the country have made an infrequent, but still consistent, public announcement: An outbreak of legionnaires' disease has been identified.But in the chance the bacterial infection develops into legionnaires' disease, it can be lethal with about one in every 10 cases being fatal.

These towers, which are components of the large air-conditioning systems found in office buildings and shopping centres, provide the ideal environments for bacteria like Legionella to grow. Australia's population in capital cities grew by almost 45 per cent to 17.2 million people between 1997 and 2021,

"Once Legionella is in a cooling tower, it's impossible to get it out. The only thing you can do is control it. And that's by routine cleaning, maintenance and disinfection," Dr Bentham said. "Every outbreak of disease seems to bring a new outbreak of regulation, which the bacteria just ignore, unfortunately.

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abcnews /  🏆 5. in AU

Legionnaires' Disease Legionella Pneumophila Public Health Bacterium Respiratory Disease Pneumonia Richard Bentham Flinders University Verlaine Timms University Of Newcastle Michael Staff NSLHD Disease Outbreak Guy Marks SWLHD Respiratory Physician Air Conditioning Cooling Towers Bacterial Infection Burnet Institute

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