Legionnaires - more deaths are possible

Further deaths from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease cannot be ruled out, doctors warned yesterday, as it was revealed a Highland patient was being treated.

There are now 24 confirmed cases and 37 suspected cases of the infection, with 12 people being treated in intensive care.

One man has died, named locally as 56-year-old Robert Air, from Seafield in Edinburgh, where the outbreak started.

Chairman of the incident management team, Dr Duncan McCormick, of NHS Lothian, said: “We’re hoping to see no further deaths. We’re doing everything we can, but we can’t rule out further deaths at this stage.”

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