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Aussie man dies from Legionaires' disease outbreak

Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

An elderly Australian has died from the recent outbreak of Legionnaire's disease believed to have spread by a contaminated cooling tower in central Sydney.

Nine people were believed to have been infected with the potentially fatal disease at Sydney's populous Town Hall area. However, New South Wales state authorities believe the outbreak is over following inspections of cooling towers in the surrounding areas.

"No cases of legionnaires' diseased linked to the Sydney CBD have developed since March 4, suggesting the outbreak may be over," NSW Health communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard said on Wednesday.

A man in his 80s passed away over the weekend from the same strain of Legionnaires' disease detected, but the man also had a "serious underlying condition," Sheppeard said.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection that inflicts fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath and potentially death on those infected.

The last outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Sydney occurred in 2011. Endit