Rapid quantification method for Legionella pneumophila in surface water.

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Water quality analysis
• Immunodiagnostics

Background:

• Legionellosis outbreaks linked to cooling systems necessitate rapid Legionella pneumophila detection.
• Current antibody-based methods lack sensitivity for screening surface and drinking water.
• Preconcentration techniques are crucial for achieving the required sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a rapid, sensitive method for Legionella pneumophila detection in water.
• To combine preconcentration with immunoassay for enhanced screening capabilities.
• To establish a fast hygiene control method for L. pneumophila.

Main Methods:

• Monolithic adsorption filtration (MAF) for sample preconcentration.
• Centrifugal ultrafiltration (CeUF) for further sample volume reduction.
• Flow-based chemiluminescence sandwich microarray immunoassays (CL-SMIA) using specific antibodies.

Main Results:

• The MAF-CeUF preconcentration method reduced sample volume efficiently.
• CL-SMIA achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.39 CFU/mL after preconcentration.
• The entire analytical process, including preconcentration, took 90 minutes.
• High recovery rates (99.8 ± 15.9%) were observed for L. pneumophila concentrations between 1-1000 CFU/mL.

Conclusions:

• The combined MAF-CeUF and CL-SMIA method offers high sensitivity and speed for L. pneumophila detection.
• This analytical approach is suitable for rapid screening of surface and drinking water.
• The method enables fast hygiene control, crucial for preventing legionellosis outbreaks.