The number of people confirmed to be suffering from the Legionnaire’s disease in Edinburgh has risen to six raising concerns over the outbreak.

Health experts believe that the outbreak began as a result of contaminated cooling towers in the west of the city. The health chief confirmed that in addition to the six cases, there were another four suspected cases of the disease in Edinburgh yesterday.

Experts have tested 16 cooling towers on four sites in the Gorgie, Dalry, Saughton areas. They found that all the cases can be traced to one geographical area in the city. All the people confirmed or suspected pf having the illness live or work in south-west Edinburgh.

A public health consultant leading the investigation for NHS Lothian, Duncan McCormack said that the authorities are taking the situation very seriously and added that the ten people are being treated treated in intensive care or high-dependency units.

Legionnaire’s disease is casued when a person inhales small droplets that are contaminated with legionella bacterium. Experts say that the Legionnella bacteria can travel for miles through the air. Experts have rinsed16 cooling towerswith chlorine to contain the disease and if a cooling tower is confirmed to the source of the infection then further cleaning will be undertaken.

Mr McCormack said: “What we have found is that all of these cases live in the south-west central area of Edinburgh – roughly in Gorgie, Saughton and Dalry. We think there could be an environmental source.”