A mysterious disease struck 221 people at the American Legion Convention held here at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in late July, 1976. The pneumonia-like symptoms were finally attributed to a previously unknown bacteria named after the group and now called Legionnaires' disease.

Legionellosis

Legionellosis is a potentially fatal infectious disease caused by gram negative, aerobic bacteria belonging to the genus Legionella.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionellosis