In the summer of 1976, prior to the United States presidential election between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease occurred in Philadelphia. After an epidemiological survey, 221 people with pneumonia or similar symptoms were identified, 34 of whom died. The outbreak prompted the advancement of legislation to exempt companies that produced influenza vaccines from liability for damages, resulting in significant losses for the government. The outbreak was a major economic blow to the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, an iconic historical hotel in Philadelphia, which was forced to close 16 days after the election. Following the outbreak, media coverage was extensive, and there was frustration over the inability to determine the cause of the outbreak in Philadelphia. The critical factor was that the cause of the outbreak was not determined to be rod-shaped bacteria, later named Legionella pneumophila, before the election date. While many aspects had an impact, it is possible that the Legionnaires' disease outbreak may have affected the outcome of the election, particularly in Pennsylvania. This study does not make definitive causal links but focuses on Legionnaires' disease and the 1976 elections.

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费城军团病爆发与 1976 年美国总统选举

1976年夏天，在杰拉尔德·福特和吉米·卡特之间的美国总统选举之前，费城爆发了退伍军人病。经流行病学调查，发现有肺炎或类似症状的人员221人，其中34人死亡。此次疫情促使立法进展，免除生产流感疫苗的公司的损害责任，给政府造成了重大损失。此次疫情对费城标志性历史酒店贝尔维尤斯特拉特福酒店造成重大经济打击，该酒店在大选后16天被迫关闭。疫情爆发后，媒体进行了广泛报道，人们对无法确定费城疫情爆发的原因感到沮丧。关键因素是，在选举日期之前，疫情爆发的原因尚未确定为杆状细菌，后来被命名为嗜肺军团菌。虽然许多方面都产生了影响，但退伍军人病的爆发可能影响了选举结果，特别是在宾夕法尼亚州。这项研究并未得出明确的因果关系，但重点关注退伍军人病和 1976 年选举。