Legionnaires’ disease reported in Disneyland; administration shuts down two cooling towers

Health reports from the happiest place on earth are very disturbing. Disneyland is regarded as the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but recently it has become less happy.

According to recent reports, some of the visitors to Anaheim, California, theme park were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and this resulted in the shutting down of the two cooling towers in the Disneyland.

Health Care Agency of Orange County said that three weeks ago nearly a dozen of cases was reported with patients having the bacterial lung infections.

The patients with age between 52-94 years lived or visited Anaheim, and nine of them visited the Disneyland in the month of September 2017. One of the patients, who hadn’t visited the park died. And since September, there were no new cases linked to Anaheim. However, currently, no risk is associated with the epidemic in the region.

Legionnaires’ disease can be transmitted easily as it spreads by inhaling the contaminated water droplets. Though most of the people do not exhibit any symptom, this disease could result in the development of serious diseases like pneumonia and other associated lung infections. The infections and disease can be cured with antibiotics.

After the survey and analysis, the Disneyland was reported about the issue. It was later found that two cooling towers in the park are new homes for Legionella bacteria and high level of the bacteria was found in them. These towers were immediately terminated from the operation on November 1, 2017, and were further disinfected. Though they are ready for operation and free from contamination, but they will remain shut until confirmatory test.

Disneyland operates a total of 18 cooling towers and none of the other 16 towers reported to have any kind Legionella bacteria.

According to the health care agency, there were more than 55 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Orange County and recently the number of cases increased in county and nation.

The reports of Orange County Register said that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there were around 6000 cases of the Legionnaires’ disease across the U.S.