Legionnaires' disease bacteria confirmed in hot tub at Playboy Mansion where 200 party guests were struck down with illness



Health officials have confirmed that the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in a whirlpool spa at the Playboy Mansion where more than 100 people fell ill in February.

The Los Angeles County Health Department presented its findings on Friday at an annual conference at the Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta.

The legionella bacteria also causes a milder illness called Pontiac fever.

Health scare: Playboy bunnies pose under the marquee at the Mansion before the party. Officials have found the Legionella bacteria in a hot tub

Struck down: Investigators found the bacteria which causes Legionnaires' at the Playboy Mansion after scores of people fell ill on the same day

Investigation: 200 guests fell ill after attending a fundraiser at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion in February

Symptoms, which include fever and headache, are the same as those suffered by the Playboy Mansion partygoers.

The people who fell ill were at the mansion to mark the end of the three-day DOMAINFest Global Conference on internet business.

The conference took place at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica.

On the second night, there was a party at the Sky Bar on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The finale on the third night was at Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's famous mansion.

Within 48 hours after leaving it, scores of people reported coming down with symptoms including fever, respiratory problems and violent headaches.

About 700 people from 30 countries attended the conference.

DOMAINFest asked people who were at the event to fill out a confidential survey to help in the health department investigation.

Officials ended up speaking to 439 people and found that up to 200 of them had a fever and at least one other symptom.

Sixty-nine people reported falling ill on the same day.

Something in the air? Public health investigators believe the illness which affected 200 guests may have been spread through the atmospheric fog