The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in July 1976, when it hosted a statewide convention of the American Legion. Soon after, a pneumonia-like disease killed 29 people and sickened 182 more who had been in the hotel. The vast majority were members of the convention. The negative publicity associated with what became known as "Legionnaires' Disease" caused occupancy at the Bellevue-Stratford to plummet to 4 percent and the hotel finally closed on November 18, 1976. In 1977, Dr. Joseph McDade discovered a new bacterium, which was identified as the causative organism. It thrives in hot, damp places like the water of the cooling towers for the
Epidemiology of pneumonia pneumonia occurred in approximately 156 million children (151 million in the developing world and 5 million in the developed world). It caused in 1.6 million deaths or 28–34% of all deaths in those under five years of age of which 95% occur in the developing world. Countries with the greatest burden of disease include: India (43 million), China (21 million) and Pakistan (10 million). Children in developing countries are at a significantly higher risk for developing pneumonia because malnutrition, overcrowding, and the lack of proper housing are prevalent risk factors. Other illnesses can also worsen the chances for developing pneumonia,