Health officials are now treating the situation in Glasgow as an outbreak following the deaths of two more people, bringing the death toll to three.
Last week ACR News reported that an elderly man had died from the disease while four others were receiving treatment. These incidents lead to a cross-agency investigation into an increase in cases begun between the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Public Health Protection Unit with Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), along with other partner agencies.

Since this report, two more victims who have died, an 81-year-old man and a 65-year-old man, both of which had underlying health conditions.

As reported in the Daily Record, the 65-year-old was admitted to hospital at the weekend suffering from the disease.

Five of the cases are from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area and two are from the NHS Lanarkshire health board area.

Health officials are trying to identify a common source of the outbreak and the public health protection units continue to work together in a joint investigation with HPS, HSE and environmental health officers to find the cause.

NHSGGC lead consultant in public health Dr Syed Ahmed said: 'Despite our very thorough investigations to date, we have been unable to find a common source for the infections. We expect a small number of cases within the community every year but this rise, so close together, is most unusual and we feel we must treat these cases as an outbreak. Together with NHS Lanarkshire, HPS, environmental health and other colleagues, we are investigating each and every case to identify a common source.'