Hef, clean the fog machine; Playboy Mansion investigated after 75 guests fall ill in apparent outbreak of Legionaires disease

Health officials are investigating the Playboy Mansion over fears Hugh Hefner’s famed property is the source of a recent disease outbreak.

More than 75 conference guests who attended a fundraiser at the Los Angeles residence were reportedly struck down by a respiratory infection.

Four Swedish men who attended the event were diagnosed with Legionellosis or pontiac fever, a milder form of Legionnaires disease caused by bacteria that thrives in warm air-conditioning systems.

A fog machine used at the bash could have spread the illness.

Over 700 guests were attending an event on February 3 as part of the annual DOMAINfest Global conference.

Many of the victims started tweeting and posting their symptoms on Facebook and that’s when organizers of the conference noticed a trend.
 

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About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time