Deceased was one of 16 in Stoke-on-Trent to contract disease, although exact cause of death remains unknown

Health officials are awaiting details of the cause of death of a patient affected by a legionnaires’ disease outbreak.

The patient was among 16 people suffering from the disease in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The group have all been confirmed as having legionnaires’ disease, with the number of confirmed cases rising steadily since news of the outbreak emerged last Tuesday.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said one of the patients in hospital had died. No further details were released about the victim and officials are waiting for a cause of death from the coroner.

The HPA said there had been one further case confirmed in Stoke, bringing the total to 16. All those affected are aged between their late 40s and mid-70s.

A spokesman for university hospital of North Staffordshire (UNHS) said: “The trust is currently treating 11 patients confirmed with legionnaires’ disease who are all in a stable or improving condition.

“One patient has sadly died. Three patients are well enough to go home and have been discharged.”

A spokesman for Glenfield hospital, Leicester, said: “We are treating a patient transferred from the UNHS confirmed with Legionnaires’ disease who is in a critical but stable condition.”

Health officials try to identify source of disease as number of cases continue to rise, with two in a critical condition

A total of 15 people are being treated in hospital after an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in Staffordshire.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said all of those affected in Stoke-on-Trent were aged between their late 40s and mid-70s.

The number of confirmed cases has been steadily rising since news of the outbreak on Tuesday.

Two of the patients are in a critical condition and are being treated in separate hospitals.

A spokesman for University Hospital of North Staffordshire said: “The trust is currently treating 14 patients confirmed with legionnaires’ disease. Thirteen patients are in a stable or improving condition; one person is in a critical condition.”

A spokesman for Glenfield hospital, Leicester, said: “We are treating a patient transferred from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, confirmed with legionnaires’ disease, who is in a critical but stable condition.”

Public and environmental health experts from the HPA, the Health and Safety Executive, the NHS in Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent city council are trying to identify and investigate possible sources of the outbreak.

Prof Harsh Duggal, director of the Health Protection Agency’s health protection unit in Stafford, said: “Our investigation into possible sources continues.

“We have sampled and disinfected potential sources of exposure but people can develop symptoms up to two weeks after being exposed to legionella so we are not surprised by these new cases.

“We continue to map the outbreak and work with our partners to pinpoint possible sources, using the information we have gathered.”

Anyone feeling unwell with any of the possible signs is advised to see their doctor, ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or visit www.nhs.uk. The HPA stressed that there was no need for anyone who was well or only mildly unwell to see their doctor or to have any tests.

Health officials try to identify source of disease as number of cases continue to rise, with two in a critical condition

A total of 15 people are being treated in hospital after an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in Staffordshire.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said all of those affected in Stoke-on-Trent were aged between their late 40s and mid-70s.

The number of confirmed cases has been steadily rising since news of the outbreak on Tuesday.

Two of the patients are in a critical condition and are being treated in separate hospitals.

A spokesman for University Hospital of North Staffordshire said: “The trust is currently treating 14 patients confirmed with legionnaires’ disease. Thirteen patients are in a stable or improving condition; one person is in a critical condition.”

A spokesman for Glenfield hospital, Leicester, said: “We are treating a patient transferred from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, confirmed with legionnaires’ disease, who is in a critical but stable condition.”

Public and environmental health experts from the HPA, the Health and Safety Executive, the NHS in Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent city council are trying to identify and investigate possible sources of the outbreak.

Prof Harsh Duggal, director of the Health Protection Agency’s health protection unit in Stafford, said: “Our investigation into possible sources continues.

“We have sampled and disinfected potential sources of exposure but people can develop symptoms up to two weeks after being exposed to legionella so we are not surprised by these new cases.

“We continue to map the outbreak and work with our partners to pinpoint possible sources, using the information we have gathered.”

Anyone feeling unwell with any of the possible signs is advised to see their doctor, ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or visit www.nhs.uk. The HPA stressed that there was no need for anyone who was well or only mildly unwell to see their doctor or to have any tests.

Eleven people being treated in hospital as experts continue efforts to identify source of outbreak

Two more cases of legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in Stoke-on-Trent and one patient is in a critical condition.

A total of 11 people are being treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, a number which has been steadily rising since news of the outbreak was released on Tuesday.

All patients are aged between their late 40s and mid-70s, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

The organisation was also investigating two cases identified in early summer as being possibly linked to the current cluster.

A spokesman for the hospital said one of the older patients receiving treatment was in a critical condition, while the others were stable or improving.

Prof Harsh Duggal, director of the HPA’s health protection unit in Stafford, said: “Our investigation into possible sources continues and we have been able to obtain detailed information on the movements of those affected.

“We are now working with HPA experts in mapping the outbreak and our partners to pinpoint possible sources, using the information we have gathered.”

The HPA said the outbreak was not hospital-related and the hospital was a safe environment for visitors.

Public and environmental health experts from the HPA, the Health and Safety Executive, the NHS in Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent city council are working together to identify and investigate possible sources.

An outbreak in Edinburgh came to light at the end of May and is thought to have centred on a cluster of cooling towers in the south-west of the city.

Three people died after contracting the illness and last week the total number of confirmed and suspected cases stood at 101.

The outbreak in Scotland has since been declared over by health officials.

Anyone feeling unwell with any of the possible signs is advised to go and see their doctor, ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or visit www.nhs.uk.

The HPA stressed that there was no need for anyone who was well or only mildly unwell to see their doctor or to have any tests.

Eleven people being treated in hospital as experts continue efforts to identify source of outbreak

Two more cases of legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in Stoke-on-Trent and one patient is in a critical condition.

A total of 11 people are being treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, a number which has been steadily rising since news of the outbreak was released on Tuesday.

All patients are aged between their late 40s and mid-70s, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

The organisation was also investigating two cases identified in early summer as being possibly linked to the current cluster.

A spokesman for the hospital said one of the older patients receiving treatment was in a critical condition, while the others were stable or improving.

Prof Harsh Duggal, director of the HPA’s health protection unit in Stafford, said: “Our investigation into possible sources continues and we have been able to obtain detailed information on the movements of those affected.

“We are now working with HPA experts in mapping the outbreak and our partners to pinpoint possible sources, using the information we have gathered.”

The HPA said the outbreak was not hospital-related and the hospital was a safe environment for visitors.

Public and environmental health experts from the HPA, the Health and Safety Executive, the NHS in Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent city council are working together to identify and investigate possible sources.

An outbreak in Edinburgh came to light at the end of May and is thought to have centred on a cluster of cooling towers in the south-west of the city.

Three people died after contracting the illness and last week the total number of confirmed and suspected cases stood at 101.

The outbreak in Scotland has since been declared over by health officials.

Anyone feeling unwell with any of the possible signs is advised to go and see their doctor, ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or visit www.nhs.uk.

The HPA stressed that there was no need for anyone who was well or only mildly unwell to see their doctor or to have any tests.

The man is thought to be from the Gorgie area of south west Edinburgh which has been worst affected by the outbreak

A second man has died in the legionnaires disease outbreak in Edinburgh, after falling ill at an early stage of the outbreak earlier this month.

The man is thought to be in his 40s and from the Gorgie area of south west Edinburgh which has been worst affected by the outbreak. He had “significant pre-existing underlying health conditions”, the Scottish government said.

Last week, a builder called Robert Air, 56, was the first fatality in what is now the second worst outbreak of legionnaires in the UK in recent decades. Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish health secretary, had warned that further deaths were possible.

Speaking as she confirmed the second death, Sturgeon said: “My sincere condolences go to the family and friends of the patient who passed away in Edinburgh tonight in a case linked to the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the city. My thoughts are with them at this very difficult time.

“Despite this sad and tragic development, it remains the case that we believe the outbreak to have peaked. However, we continue to monitor the situation carefully.”

The second death came after the number of fresh confirmed and suspected casualties in the outbreak had peaked and began to fall markedly.

On Thursday, the Scottish government had said there were no new cases, leaving the number of confirmed patients and cases at 41, with a new suspected cases taking that total to 48.

The number in hospital had also fallen, with 11 people in intensive care and 18 staying on general wards. There were 18 people being treated at home with 34 discharged from hospital entirely since the outbreak started two weeks ago.

Speaking after the death was confirmed, Dr Duncan McCormick, chair of the NHS Lothian’s incident management team, said: “Whilst we realised that further deaths were a possibility this additional death is extremely sad and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of the patient.”

“It is encouraging to see that the number of patients being treated in critical care has reduced and that overall more patients are recovering and being discharged home.”

In the last week, two of the four factories in south-west Edinburgh suspected as possible sources of the outbreak, the North British Distillery Company and then Mafarlan Smith, a pharmaceuticals firm, shut down their cooling towers and were ordered by the Health and Safety Executive to give them a deep clean.

It is now the UK’s worst outbreak since seven people were killed and 180 cases reported in Barrow-in-Furness in 2002. Two people were killed and 22 infected in an outbreak in South Wales in 2010.