Legionnaires' outbreak linked to Vic mall

Cooling towers near a Melbourne shopping centre are being investigated over a possible link to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

The Victorian health department says since February four people have been hospitalised with the pneumonia-like illness after visiting a Cranbourne shopping centre in Melbourne's southeast.

A number of cooling towers near the centre have been disinfected and samples have been taken from them but the department is yet to confirm the results.