02 Dec 2003

Two further cases of Legionnaires' disease have been diagnosed as part of an outbreak centred on a cider plant, taking the total number of people affected by the bug to 28.

The Herefordshire Primary Care Trust said both new patients had "a history" consistent with catching the disease before the closure of a cooling tower at a Bulmers site in Hereford, which has been identified as the source of the disease.

Dr Mike Deakin, Herefordshire's Director of Public Health, said: "These two cases are not unexpected and fit the pattern we'd expect to find at the end of such an outbreak. We're confident that they have not developed Legionnaires' disease since the cooling towers were shut down and we do not expect new people to develop Legionnaires'."

He added: "However, this does not mean that we will not find more cases as people who already have the disease might not go to their GP until some time after symptoms develop.

"As a result we're entirely happy that the source has been dealt with and that there is absolutely no risk to anyone visiting Hereford."

Health experts confirmed last month that samples taken from patients matched legionella found during tests on a cooling tower at the HP Bulmer site at Plough Lane, Hereford.

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