Disneyland shuts down cooling towers after park visitors sickened with disease
ANAHEIM (KRON) – Disneyland shut down two of their cooling towers after multiple cases of Legionnaires’ disease were found in park visitors.
After the Orange County Health Care Agency reported an increase of Legionnaires’ cases in Anaheim, the park investigated and found two towers had “had elevated levels of Legionella bacteria.”
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe, often lethal, form of pneumonia.
Orange County health officials say they have been notified of eight cases of the disease in the month of September. It is not confirmed that all eight cases came from the Disneyland park.
Two are Anaheim residents, five were visitors who stayed in Anaheim between 9/12 and 9/27, and one works in Anaheim but lives in another county.
The towers are shut down as they are treated with chemicals that kill this type of bacteria.
Disneyland says they have shared this information with OCHCA.
“There is no longer any known risk associated with our facilities,” officials said.
The disease is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, found in both potable and nonpotable water systems.
Each year, an estimated 10,000 to 18,000 people in the United States are infected with this bacteria.Here is official information on Legionnaires’ disease.