Disneyland shuts down 2 cooling towers after Legionnaires' disease sickens park visitors - 11/11/17

[Darkbeer1]

The LA Times is reporting...

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-disneyland-legionnaires-20171110-story.html

>>Disneyland has shut down two bacteria-contaminated cooling towers after Orange County health officials discovered several cases of Legionnaires’ disease in people who had visited the Anaheim theme park, authorities said.

The 12 cases of the bacteria-caused illness were discovered about three weeks ago among people who had spent time in Anaheim and included nine people who had visited Disneyland Park in September before developing the illness, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. Their ages ranged from 52 to 94.<<

>>“There is no known ongoing risk associated with this outbreak,” the healthcare agency said in a statement.

The towers are in a backstage area near the New Orleans Square Train Station, each more than 100 feet from areas accessible to guests, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman said Friday. A Disneyland employee is among those who fell ill with the disease.

“On Oct. 27, we learned from the Orange County Health Care Agency of increased Legionnaires’ disease cases in Anaheim. We conducted a review and learned that two cooling towers had elevated levels of Legionella bacteria,” Dr. Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said in a statement Friday. “These towers were treated with chemicals that destroy the bacteria and are currently shut down.”<<

 

[Darkbeer1]

And the OC Register...

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/1...in-anaheim-disneyland-could-be-a-possibility/

>>Hymel added that Disney has worked with the county health care agency and that “there is no longer any known risk associated with our facilities.”

“(Disney) reported having performed subsequent testing and disinfection and brought the towers back into service (Sunday),” Good said.

While the towers, in a backstage area behind the New Orleans Square train station, were initially cleared, Disney on its own took them back out of service on Tuesday. Disney is working with health officials on the status of the towers.

Good said there have been no additional Legionella cases after September and no known ongoing risk associated with this outbreak.<<

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The photo of all the people on Main Street in the OCR article is giving me anxiety.

 

[Driver]

I worked in the HVAC business all my life, this is a serious issue. Owners of this equipment are responsible for water treatment. And in some areas can be liable if someone gets sick from their equipment.

 

[MuteSuperstar]

The photo of all the people on Main Street in the OCR article is giving me anxiety.

Honestly makes me not even want to leave the house.
That is supposed to be fun? No thank you.

 

[Nubs70]

I worked in the HVAC business all my life, this is a serious issue. Owners of this equipment are responsible for water treatment. And in some areas can be liable if someone gets sick from their equipment.

This is a prime example of poor maintenance. I am willing to bet it was either neglect or planned reduction microbiological treatment program. If we reduce our AC demand by 50%, we can reduce microbio program by 50%.

Either way, it is incompetance.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

“(Disney) reported having performed subsequent testing and disinfection and brought the towers back into service (Sunday),”

Mother! I've turned the cooling units back on! Mother!!

 

[pmaljr]

Limited Time Magic

 

[Darkbeer1]

Damn, Disneyland has been getting hit hard by things like this.

First it was the measles, hepatitis A outbreak nearby, and now this.

Well ,place enough people in a confined space and things will spread.

 

[Stevek]

Honestly makes me not even want to leave the house.
That is supposed to be fun? No thank you.

The one good thing about Disney Twitter is their posting of crowds at bag check in the AM of busy (ok most) days. Definitely influences my decisions to take the family down there.

 

[Horizons '83]

Yikes, we were there in September and we both got colds a few days after but luckily I am guessing we are fine. Wouldn't be the first time we got sick after a Disney trip.

 

[Phroobar]

Damn, Disneyland has been getting hit hard by things like this.

First it was the measles, hepatitis A outbreak nearby, and now this.

Magic Mountain doesn't have those problems.

 

[Horizons '83]

Magic Mountain doesn't have those problems.

That place is quite disappointing, on all counts.

 

[Curious Constance]

Magic Mountain doesn't have those problems.

They prefer to keep their problems delegated to large swaths of thugish teens robbing people at knife point.

 

[NobodyElse]

Well ,place enough people in a confined space and things will spread.

Very true. Somebody into public health statistics probably could have placed bets the the measles event was bound to happen.

Next vacation, I think I'll skip the Disney parks and head for Antarctica. Very few measles outbreaks reported there.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Interesting article as to why the public wasn't told of the outbreak earlier.

https://voiceofoc.org/2017/11/publi...ires-outbreak-because-health-threat-was-over/

>>By the time medical tests determined a cluster of the cases occurred in Anaheim in September, routine tests already had led to disinfecting the two water cooling tanks at Disneyland, according to Health Care Agency spokeswoman Jessica Good.

The Health Care Agency still is awaiting test results to clear the water tanks of unsafe levels of bacteria.<<

 

[drizgirl]

Interesting article as to why the public wasn't told of the outbreak earlier.

https://voiceofoc.org/2017/11/publi...ires-outbreak-because-health-threat-was-over/

>>By the time medical tests determined a cluster of the cases occurred in Anaheim in September, routine tests already had led to disinfecting the two water cooling tanks at Disneyland, according to Health Care Agency spokeswoman Jessica Good.

The Health Care Agency still is awaiting test results to clear the water tanks of unsafe levels of bacteria.<<

"Move along folks. Nothing to see here."

 

[Darkbeer1]

And now more cases....

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-legionella-disneyland-20171115-story.html

>>The 15 people infected range in age from 52 to 94. Four live in Orange County but didn’t visit the theme park. The two individuals who died did not visit the park, Good said.


She said health officials were visiting hotels, motels and businesses that aren’t associated with the Disneyland Resort along the busy Harbor Boulevard corridor as they continue to look into the outbreak.

Good said the majority of patients having visited Disneyland “indicates a pattern but does not identify that specific location as the common source of infection for all cases. Our investigation is ongoing.”<<

 

[TP2000]

They have begun an investigation into cooling towers and bacteria sources off Disneyland property. There are mutliple cases of Leigonnaires disease that didn't involve the person stepping onto Disneyland property, so the investigation for a source of the disease continues in Anaheim at motels, hotels, restaurants, etc. http://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/1...e-spreads-to-areas-outside-disneyland-resort/