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Legionnaires' Disease Closes Disneyland in California
Los Angeles, CA: Several cases of Legionnaires’ disease reported in people who visited Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, have resulted in the closure of the theme park. The bacteria were discovered in two contaminated cooling towers following an inspection by Orange County health officials.
In October, 12 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported among people who had spent time at the theme park, including nine people who had visited Disneyland in September before developing the illness, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. Notably, the remaining three cases involved residents of Orange County who did not visit the park but lived or traveled in Anaheim.
Among those infected, 10 were hospitalized and one person “with additional health issues” died, according to the Los Angeles Times. That person reportedly had not visited Disneyland.
The Orange County Health Agency has also alerted healthcare providers to look for Legionnaires’ disease in anyone who may have become ill after visiting Anaheim or Disneyland before November 7.
Legionnaires’ is a lung disease caused by Legionella bacteria that grow in water and become airborne. People become infected when they breathe in droplets of infected water. Symptoms can take between 2-10 days to appear. Legionnaire outbreaks are often traced to hot tubs, decorative fountains, cooling towers, as was the case in Disneyland, and large air-conditioning systems that emit water vapor into the air.
Importantly, Legionnaires’ is not spread from person to person.
The illness can be treated with antibiotics and hospital care, but about 1 in 10 people who get Legionnaires’ disease die from the infection. Most at risk are people older than 50 with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases.
According to the report in the LA Times, Orange County has recorded more than 55 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2017, with the number of cases increasing in recent years. A similar upward trend has been seen nationally and elsewhere in Southern California, according to the healthcare agency.
Published on Nov-14-17
In October, 12 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported among people who had spent time at the theme park, including nine people who had visited Disneyland in September before developing the illness, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. Notably, the remaining three cases involved residents of Orange County who did not visit the park but lived or traveled in Anaheim.
Among those infected, 10 were hospitalized and one person “with additional health issues” died, according to the Los Angeles Times. That person reportedly had not visited Disneyland.
The Orange County Health Agency has also alerted healthcare providers to look for Legionnaires’ disease in anyone who may have become ill after visiting Anaheim or Disneyland before November 7.
Legionnaires’ is a lung disease caused by Legionella bacteria that grow in water and become airborne. People become infected when they breathe in droplets of infected water. Symptoms can take between 2-10 days to appear. Legionnaire outbreaks are often traced to hot tubs, decorative fountains, cooling towers, as was the case in Disneyland, and large air-conditioning systems that emit water vapor into the air.
Importantly, Legionnaires’ is not spread from person to person.
The illness can be treated with antibiotics and hospital care, but about 1 in 10 people who get Legionnaires’ disease die from the infection. Most at risk are people older than 50 with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases.
According to the report in the LA Times, Orange County has recorded more than 55 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2017, with the number of cases increasing in recent years. A similar upward trend has been seen nationally and elsewhere in Southern California, according to the healthcare agency.
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