Earlier this month, numerous media outlets reported the 6 September death of a 64 year old Welsh woman and 11 additional diagnoses of Legionnaire’s disease in South Wales. As the outbreak grew to 14 cases, investigators noted a cluster of illnesses in the Heads of the Valleys corridor, and focused on an industrial facility with large air conditioning systems. A cooling tower was ordered closed in Dowlais, Methyr Tydfil on 10 September, with 17 cases, 2 deaths, and 4 cases under investigation. On 13 September, a second company's cooling tower was closed. A third was closed on 13 September. As of 20 September, the outbreak is associated with 2 deaths and 22 cases, with an additional 2 Legionnaire’s deaths ruled unrelated to the outbreak. Four towers have been closed and no source has been identified.
