Seventeen cases of Legionnaires disease have been identified in January in a recent outbreak in Sydney and the Illawarra region of Australia. The Health Director in New South Wales issued a statement where he expressed that while there tends to be a slight uptick in cases around the end of summer, a spike of this size is cause for concern. [1] This outbreak has prompted health officials to issue a warning that air conditioning towers, referred to as cooling towers in the United States, need to be properly maintained. Regulations were introduced in these regions in 2012 that require business owners to conduct monthly tests on their cooling towers for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease. Health authorities have warned that symptoms of Legionnaires disease are similar to COVID-19. Therefore, if you have tested negative for COVID-19 and are still experiencing symptoms, health officials recommend seeing a doctor. [2] Click here for a free consultation! THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY JULES ZACHER, P.C. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL.