1976 swine flu outbreak strain. On July 23, the President sends a letter urging Congress to take action on indemnification. In early August an outbreak of illness in Philadelphia is thought to be related to swine flu. It is found to be an atypical pneumonia thereafter called Legionnaires' disease. On August 6, President Ford holds a press conference urging Congress to take action on the indemnification legislation. Four days later, both Houses of Congress pass the legislation. Merrill becomes the first company to submit samples to the FDA's Bureau of Biologics for safety testing, which approves it on September 2. Merck makes the first
Legionella cherrii were cultured around 36 °C in an environment containing 2.5% carbon dioxide. The genus "Legionella" is named after the 1976 pneumonia ("Legionella pneumophila") outbreak at the American Legion convention at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. The genus was previously unknown, but it was established three years later. The specific term "cherrii" is derived from the scientist William B. Cherry due to his contributions on the studies of Legionellae. "L. cherrii" is rod-shaped and considered an oxidase-negative bacterium since it lacks cytochrome c oxidase and does not use oxygen in its electron transport chain. "L. cherrii" also has the ability to