A CARE home has been given the all-clear following an outbreak of salmonella.

Illness struck 12 people at Glenbank Care Home, Chorley Old Road, Bolton.

Seven elderly residents were diagnosed with salmonella poisoning and a further five residents and staff were suspected of having it.

Since the outbreak, two people have died but health chiefs say the deaths were unconnected with the outbreak.

An Outbreak Control Team has been carrying out investigations at the home but have yet to establish the exact cause.

Health chiefs said the private home, which cares for up to 27 women at a time, has been fully co-operative and care home manager Glenys Hughes confirmed there had been a salmonella outbreak.

A spokesman speaking on behalf of the Health Protection Agency, Bolton Primary Care Trust and Bolton Council, said: "We can confirm that salmonella infection has been identified in seven residents of a home for elderly people in Bolton.

"A further five residents and staff also had symptoms compatible with infection, although salmonella has not been confirmed in their cases.

"One of the confirmed cases made a good initial recovery but has since died but the salmonella infection was not the direct cause of death. One of the residents in whom salmonella infection was not confirmed has since died of an unrelated condition. The other cases have made a full recovery."

Dr Judith Chaloner of the Health Protection Agency's Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit said: "We have investigated this outbreak with the full co-operation of the home's owner and staff. Infection control measures are in place and there have been no new cases since August 23."