Science | Playboy 'Pontiac Fever' Crashed Playboy Mansion Party Fog machine spread bacterium, attendees suspect By Nick McMaster Posted Feb 14, 2011 5:09 PM CST Copied WealthTV's new series "Social" hosted by Danielle Staub provides viewers with an inside tour of Sir Ivan's Castle, aka the Playboy Mansion of the Hamptons. (PRNewsFoto/WealthTV) The culprit behind the dozens of people sickened after a party at Playboy Mansion? Officials think it's Pontiac Fever, a milder form of Legionnaires' disease that's known as legionellosis. The bacterium that causes legionellosis lives inside warm water and can take root in ventilation systems; some suspect that a fog machine used at the party may have spread the disease, the LA Times reports. Read These Next The Amazon-USPS partnership could soon be coming to a close. Suspect arrested in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case. Don't plan an overnighter to Grand Canyon's South Rim now. Gene Simmons says Congress has to fix the radio business model. Report an error