More than 200 members of staff at Pechiney Aviatube Limited, in Distington, have been warned about the symptoms of the bug.

The factory is just 60 miles from Barrow-in-Furness, which last month was the scene of the UK's worst outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in more than a decade.

Five people have died after contracting the bug.

It is unlikely that staff at Pechiney Aviatube and members of the general public will have contracted legionella infection

Dr Jean Vickers

No-one has developed Legionnaires' disease during the latest scare at the company, which makes sections of aluminium for Airbus aircraft.

A small growth of legionella was discovered on 29 August during a routine test of the cooling tower.

Mark Greaves, technical manager of the site, said: "It is not an area of the site in which many people go, but as a responsible employer we have taken action."

Mr Greaves said the tower had been cleaned with chlorine and further tests on two more cooling towers were being carried out.

Bug symptoms

Dr Jean Vickers, director of public health for West Cumbria Primary Care Trust, said: "It is unlikely that staff at Pechiney Aviatube and members of the general public will have contracted legionella infection.

"If, however, you have been in the vicinity of Pechiney Aviatube in the week before 29 August and you have developed a high fever and a cough you are advised to see your GP."

The most recent victim of the Barrow outbreak was Christine Merewood, 55, who died on Thursday.

Four others - an 88-year-old man and three women aged between 54 and 76 - have so far been confirmed as having died from the disease.

A 56-year-old woman died after being discharged from hospital and it has not yet been established if she was killed by the bug.

A 30-year-old air conditioning unit at a leisure centre in Barrow has been confirmed as the source of the outbreak.