The number of people infected with Legionnaires' disease in a fresh outbreak of the disease in Britain has risen to seven, including one man who died.
The man in his 50s died in Sandwell General Hospital
after being infected from the same source as six other cases in the Oldbury, Smethwick and Halesowen areas.
In the past 24 hours, Sandwell Health Authority has diagnosed three cases on top of the four disclosed at the end of last week.
Two men and two women are recovering at Sandwell General Hospital, while another woman is recovering at City Hospital, Birmingham. A fourth woman who was struck down by Legionnaires' was discharged from City Hospital after making a successful recovery.
Health officials are working with environmental health officers and an expert in water-borne contamination from the Public Health Laboratory Service to trace the source of the outbreak.
They are in the process of checking 40 factories and other premises in Oldbury and Smethwick to see if a water cooling system is responsible for spreading the infection.
Patients' records are also being re-examined to see if any undiagnosed chest infections could be Legionnaires', which is a water borne disease which is contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapour.
PA