Suspected Legionnaires' death

A third person suspected of having Legionnaires disease has died. The Scottish Government said the man in his 60s, from south west Edinburgh, had been unwell for a while. His condition was linked to the original outbreak.

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Legionnaires' outbreak source may never be identified

In an earlier update to the Scottish Parliament, Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the prospect of further treatment to cooling towers was being considered.

But she said the actual source may never be conclusively identified.

I would hope that over the next few days those investigations will start to deliver more specific answers on where the source of the outbreak might be.

– Nicola Sturgeon

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People with Legionnaires' symptoms 'generally less ill' than they were

Stressing that she is generalising, Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

People that are being admitted to hospital with the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are generally at the moment less ill than had been the case earlier in the outbreak.

We're seeing fewer people, by no means nobody, but fewer people who are admitted to hospital going into intensive care and we're seeing an increase in the numbers of people who are actually well enough to be treated in the community.

NHS services in the area are busy but coping with the pressure, she said.

Legionnaires' victim was 'happy-go-lucky' father

56-year-old Robert Air died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Tuesday. Credit: Edinburgh Evening News

The first victim of the deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease to hit Edinburgh has been described by his brother as a "happy-go-lucky" father of two.

56-year-old Robert Air died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Tuesday after falling ill after working in the south-west area of the city.

His brother Ronald told the Edinburgh Evening News he was "devastated by his death."

Legionnaires' outbreak spreads outside Edinburgh

Two patients are being treated for Legionnaires' disease outside of Edinburgh. One patient is receiving treatment in the north of England, and one in the Highlands.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said the cases are from the same outbreak, from south-west Edinburgh.

Ms Sturgeon stressed the risk to the general population is low, but the advice is to "stay vigilant."

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Tributes to Legionnaires' victim

The first victim of the deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease to hit Edinburgh has been named as Robert Air. The 56-year-old father of two died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Tuesday after falling ill after working in the south-west of the city, according to STV.

Robert Air worked for the building firm J.Smart and Company who issued the following statement:

Mr Air was a good and conscientious employee who will be missed and our thoughts are with his family.

The firm have offered their 70 staff and sub contractors face masks to use whilst working at the housing development where Mr Air was working before he died. This is a precaution, official advice from NHS Lothian says they are not necessary.

'Extremely complicated' to discover source of Legionnaires' outbreak

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that confirming the source of the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was a "central priority." She stressed it was "an extremely complicated process" and that a conclusion may have to be reached on the basis of the balance of probabilities.

We hope that they will begin to provide more specific answers about the source of the infection over the next few days. It is not always possible to conclusively determine the precise source of an outbreak.

Every effort is being made to investigate the potential source of this outbreak.

The cooling towers that may be the potential source of the outbreak have been chemically treated and the relevant agencies continue to monitor the situation.

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