A baby died and nine other newborns were seriously ill today after a suspected outbreak of the rare Legionnaires' disease at a hospital in Cyprus, medics said.

The newborn died and a second was in a critical condition while eight more were being treated for exposure to the same bacteria, doctors said. All 10 were born at the same private clinic in December and were less than two weeks' old.

"Initial tests suggest it is the legionella bacteria," said health minister Christos Patsalides.

The private hospital has shut down its maternity ward.

Legionnaires is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia, caused by an airborne bacteria normally generated in moist environments.