Latest case of legionnaires’ confirmed

Published on 30/06/2012 12:00

ONE more case of legionnaires’ disease has been confirmed in the Capital as the toll of the deadly outbreak continues to rise.

It brings the total of confirmed cases to 49, while the number of suspected cases is 47, the Scottish Government has said.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “The latest victim of legionnaires’ has been ill for some days, and has now been identified as a confirmed case.

“Over recent days, as expected, we have not seen as many cases of legionnaires’ as we did at the peak of the outbreak, and this continues to offer reassurance that the outbreak remains under control.

“NHS Lothian are maintaining high-quality care for patients who remain unwell and investigations continue to identify and deal with the source of the outbreak.”

The latest confirmed patient is being treated outside the Lothian NHS board area, it was revealed.

The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council continue to investigate the possible source of the outbreak, thought to centre on a cluster of cooling towers in Wheatfield Road.

First Minister Alex Salmond pledged this week at the Scottish Parliament to leave “no stone unturned” in the investigation into Edinburgh’s legionnaires’ outbreak.