Legionnaire's disease source tests are negative

The outbreak of Legionnaires' disease is centred around the Heads of the Valleys road

Tests on four sites to see if any were the source of a Legionnaire's disease outbreak in south Wales have come back negative, Public Health Wales has said.

The four sites have been told they are safe to re-open, as tests did not find evidence of live legionella bacterium.

Further tests on samples from the 22 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' will be carried out to find a link.

Two people have died during the outbreak - an 85-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman.

The outbreak area is the corridor 12km (7.5 miles) either side of the Heads of the Valleys road between Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and Llandarcy in Neath Port Talbot.

The deaths Bev Morgan, 49, from Rhymney, Caerphilly and an 85-year-old man have both been directly linked to the south Wales outbreak.

A man, 70, and woman, 64, also died of Legionnaires', but have been excluded from this outbreak.

The Health and Safety Executive has inspected all registered cooling towers and evaporative condensers in the Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Rhymney areas - 28 in total.

Four industrial sites in Merthyr Tydfil, the Rhymney and Cynon Valleys were closed for testing but have now been told they can re-open.

HSE and council environmental health officers have also visited more than 100 other workplaces.

Investigations are focusing on a cluster of seven people linked to Rhymney. A further potential cluster of people in the Cynon valley is being investigated.

The other people have various links and connections across the outbreak area.