The Deadly Epidemic at Bellevue Stratford Hotel

In July 1976, a veterans convention held at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia turned deadly when attendees started falling ill with a mysterious disease. Dr. Fraser and his team from the CDC were called in to investigate, but they struggled to identify the cause. It was later discovered that the hotel's cooling system had become a breeding ground for a deadly bacteria that was being aerosolized and inhaled by convention attendees. The disease, later named Legionnaires' disease, claimed the lives of 29 people and led to widespread panic. The investigation eventually led to the identification of the bacteria, but not before public confidence in the CDC was severely shaken.