THREE cases of Legionnaires, disease are being investigated in Gloucestershire.

Two patients - one from Stroud and one from the Forest of Dean - have received treatment at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and have been discharged. One patient from Stroud is still being treated in the Hospital.

There has also been a separate but apparently unconnected victim of the disease treated at Cheltenham General Hospital. Health experts say it is unusual to have so many cases around at the same time.

Dr Toyin Ejidokun, from the Gloucestershire Health Protection Team, said: "We are carrying out a precautionary investigation to determine the background to these cases. "It is important to state, however, that no clear links have been found between the three people affected."

As a further precaution, advice on early identification of Legionnaires, disease has been sent to all local family doctors, community clinicians and relevant hospital doctors, said a spokesman for the West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust.

Legionnaires' disease is an uncommon form of pneumonia that may have serious consequences for some people, especially people in the older age groups.

Symptoms start with 'flu-like' illness and include fever, chills, a cough (dry or may produce sputum) frequently leading to pneumonia or a chest infection. Also, muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite and occasionally diarrhoea can occur.

People become infected when they breathe in air that contains legionella bacteria which have been dispersed into the air in very fine droplets of water known as aerosols.