Disneyland likely to have been source of Legionnaires’ disease, court told
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Southern California last year was likely to have started in Disneyland, a US court has been told.
In testimony to an appeals board judge at the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an Orange County health official said tests showed high levels of Legionella bacteria in two of Disneyland’s cooling towers at the time of the disease outbreak.
Dr Matthew Zahn said a Disneyland cooling tower was ‘likely’ the source which made 22 people ill, including three Disney employees.
The vast majority of them had visited the park in and around October 2017 when the outbreak was discovered. However, Zain said he could not be certain with 100% accuracy that Disneyland was the source without more testing.
Disney has continued to dispute the claim it was responsible. Zain said Disneyland Cooling Tower 4 had very high levels of bacteria when tested during the outbreak. When it was shut down and cleaned the number of new cases seemed to stop.
The theme park operator was fined $33,000 for failing to properly clean the cooling towers.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026