A PATIENT at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital may have been infected with a potentially fatal lung infection.

Legionella bacteria was found in a patient in October, which may lead to Legionnaires’ disease, while in the hospital’s dialysis unit.

The potentially fatal lung infection is not contagious and cannot be spread from person to person, it is caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water.

A statement issued by the hospital said that no other patients were affected and ‘enhanced control measures’ removed the risk of spreading.

A spokesman for the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We recognise that this must be a distressing time for our patient and we have been keeping the patient fully informed about this isolated event.

"We are taking further precautions by increasing our water testing to minimise further the chance of this occurring again."

Initial symptoms are flu-like, such as mild headaches, muscle pain, a high temperature, chills and tiredness.

But once the bacteria infects the lungs, patients may experience a persistent cough, coughing up phlegm and sometimes blood, shortness of breath and chest pains.

Dr Toyin Ejidokun, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health England South West said: "At this stage, it is not possible to confirm the source of the illness, but PHE is undertaking further investigations which could provide us with more information.

“The case was reported to us on October 8 and confirmed three days later.

"Our investigation team is exploring the hospital as the probable source of the illness although no other cases have been reported from there since then."

Legionella bacteria are commonly found in sources of water, such as rivers and lakes, which sometimes find their way into artificial water supply systems.

Large buildings such as hotels, hospitals and office blocks are more vulnerable to Legionella contamination because they have larger, more complex water supply systems and the bacteria can quickly spread.

People are more susceptible to the disease if they are over 50 - when 83% of cases occur - if they smoke or have smoked heavily, drink alcohol heavily, have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, or have a weakened immune system.

More to follow.