An elderly man has died of Legionnaires’ disease which he picked up at a sauna in the village of Avenhorn in Noord-Holland province, news agency ANP says on Friday.

The 69-year-old was diagnosed with the disease on October 14 and died a day later but the infection was only linked to the sauna at the end of the month, ANP says.

Some 300 people who visited the sauna between October 16 and 30 have now been alerted to the possible risk of infection. Legionnaires’ disease has an incubation period of three weeks.

Legionnaires’ disease bacteria was identified in several places at the sauna which has now changed a number of shower heads and taken other clean-up action.

In 1999, 32 people died and more than 200 were infected with Legionnaires’ disease after visiting a flower show in Bovenkarspel. The source was traced back to a whirlpool bath.