A total of 15 people who visited Anaheim or Disneyland in late August and October have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, with two people dying from the illness. Toni Guinyard reports for Today in LA on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.
Two people died and now a total of 13 others who visited Anaheim or Disneyland from late August to October have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, according to Orange County health officials.
The two deceased individuals did not visit Disneyland Park and had additional health issues, according to health officials.
A total of 11 people reportedly contracted the disease after a visit to Disneyland. Four of the 15 individuals are Orange County residents who did not visit the park, but lived or traveled in Anaheim.
The patients infected with the disease range in age from 52 to 94.
Disneyland said it learned about the Legionnaires' cases on Oct. 27 and shut down and disinfected two cooling towers, which are part of air-conditioning systems. Officials say they no longer pose a risk to park visitors.
Water samples collected from the towers Nov. 2 and 6 tested negative, according to the park. Those results were shared with county health officials.
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that can be contracted by breathing in droplets of water in the air that are contaminated with the bacteria. It often goes undiagnosed as it is similar to other illnesses.
