THE discovery of a fourth person with Legionnaire's Disease has prompted health officials to go back and re-test sites in case a hidden source is giving out bacteria intermittently.

A Redditch man in his 60s was diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease last week and is currently improving in Warwick Hospital.

Two Redditch women died from the disease in September and investigations are being carried out to see if they are linked to the latest case.

More than 70 sites across Redditch were tested last month, but the source of the legionella bacteria responsible for the outbreak was not discovered.

Director of the Hereford and Worcestershire Health Protection Agency, Dr David Kirrage, said: "This new case comes one month after the last patient became ill.

"We had thought that we were near to declaring the outbreak over. We have carried out exhaustive investigations of sites in the area and are now questioning whether there is the possibility of a hidden source giving out bacteria intermittently.

"There is of course also the possibility this case may be one of the 200 isolated examples of Legionnaire's disease which occur nationally each year."

Dr Kirrage added: "We have inspected and tested all potential sources of infection in Redditch and we must now consider other possible sources that have not previously been associated with Legionnaire's disease as well as rechecking the disinfection of the places we have already visited.

"We are already undertaking this work.

"But, it has to be remembered, that the results from tests can take up to two weeks to come through."