Bacteria found at Playboy Mansion

LOS ANGELES – The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease were found at the Playboy Mansion during an investigation into an illness that affected about 200 people who attended an event there last month, a health official said Tuesday.

Other infection sources have not been ruled out as the cause of the illness because the bacteria Legionella is common in moist places, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health director Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding said.

“We are still considering several possible causes of illness,” Fielding said.

County health officials opened an investigation Feb. 11 after attendees of an Internet conference reported symptoms mostly consisting of fever, chills, malaise and coughing.

The DOMAINfest Global Conference took place Feb. 1-3 with events at several hotels and a fundraiser at the Holmby Hills estate where Playboy founder Hugh Hefner resides.

About 700 people from 30 countries attended lectures and workshops at the conference.

In a statement, Playboy spokeswoman Teri Thomerson said people at the mansion were cooperating with the investigation.

Hefner has not left his residence, she said.