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Isolation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 14 from a human source
M C Pastoris1, C Berchicci, G Pallonari
1Instituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
A strain of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 14 was isolated during a retrospective study, after death from the sputum of a patient who had had acute leukaemia and pneumonia. This is the third strain of that serogroup to be isolated from a human source. This event emphasises the importance of performing culture as well as serological tests, so as to detect cases of legionellosis caused by strains which rarely cause fatal clinical illness.
Insights
A rare Legionella pneumophila serogroup 14 strain was identified post-mortem. This finding highlights the need for culturing to detect uncommon Legionellosis causes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Legionellosis is a severe pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria.
- Legionella pneumophila is the most common species, but other serogroups can cause illness.
- Diagnostic methods include serology and culture, each with limitations.
Observation:
- A retrospective study identified Legionella pneumophila serogroup 14 from a patient's sputum after death.
- The patient had a history of acute leukaemia and pneumonia.
- This marks the third reported isolation of this specific serogroup from a human source.
Findings:
- The isolation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 14 confirms its potential to cause human illness.
- This serogroup is rarely implicated in fatal clinical cases of legionellosis.
- The case underscores the etiological role of less common Legionella strains.
Implications:
- Emphasizes the critical importance of utilizing bacterial culture in diagnosing legionellosis.
- Highlights the need for broad diagnostic approaches to identify causative Legionella strains, especially rare ones.
- Suggests that serological tests alone may miss infections caused by uncommon serogroups, potentially leading to underdiagnosis.