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Health officials have confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria at a water source at Hugh Hefner's Holmby Hills Playboy Mansion during their investigation of a suspected Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that affected visitors attending a convention fundraiser in February.
Legionnaires’ disease, spread by bacteria, causes respiratory illness often presenting as cough, malaise, chills and fever. "Officials, however, have not ruled out other bacteria or viruses, because Legionella bacteria are commonly found in moist environments, Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county Department of Public Health, said in a statement," reports LA Now.
Attendees of DomainFest’s Feb. 1-3 conference who fell ill following the fundraiser at the Mansion are urged to fill out a confidential survey to help health officials with their investigation. Notes LA Now, "Healthy people usually recover from the bacterial disease, which can treated with antibiotics, but death can occur in 5% to 30% of cases, the CDC said."
The name of Legionnaires’ disease was coined in 1976 following an American Legion convention in Philadelphia where attendees developed pneumonia after being exposed to the bacteria. LA Notes that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 8,000 to 18,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year with the disease.
"Water source" is code for Grotto, right?
