New Legionnaire's outbreak

Two more cases of potentially fatal Legionnaire's disease have been diagnosed, it emerged today.

One of the two victims is said to be responding well to treatment in the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, while the other, who fell ill almost two weeks ago, has been discharged from hospital and is recuperating at home in Biggleswade.

The Bedfordshire cases have not been linked to the Barrow-in-Furness outbreak which has claimed three lives, a Bedfordshire Health Authority spokesman said.

Consultant Dr Pat Nair said: "Both people are from different parts of the county and are not linked to other Legionnaire's cases diagnosed elsewhere."

The Bedfordshire health authority has launched an inquiry into the source of the disease.