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Related Experiment Videos

Protocol for sampling environmental sites for legionellae.

J M Barbaree1, G W Gorman, W T Martin

  • 1Respiratory Diseases Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|July 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Environmental sampling identified Legionella species in hospitals, linking patient isolates to cooling towers and water systems. Establishing an epidemiologic link is crucial before implementing disinfection strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Hospital epidemiology
  • Infectious disease investigation

Background:

  • Legionella species are a significant cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia.
  • Identifying environmental sources of Legionella is critical for infection control.
  • Previous investigations have implicated various hospital water systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and apply an environmental sampling protocol to identify Legionella sources in two hospitals.
  • To support ongoing epidemiologic investigations of Legionella infections.
  • To determine the presence and distribution of specific Legionella pneumophila strains.

Main Methods:

  • A standardized protocol was used to sample various environmental sites within two hospitals.

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  • Environmental samples were cultured for the presence of Legionella species.
  • Isolates were characterized using serotyping and monoclonal antibody typing.
  • Patient isolates were compared to environmental isolates.

    • Main Results:

    • Legionellae were detected in 40% of sites in Hospital A and 38% in Hospital B.
    • Multiple Legionella species and serotypes were identified in Hospital A.
    • The same Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 monoclonal type (1,2,4,5) found in patients was isolated from cooling towers, make-up water, hot water tanks, and faucets.
    • In Hospital B, this patient-matching strain was most concentrated in a hot water tank but also found in other locations.

    Conclusions:

    • Environmental sampling successfully identified potential sources of Legionella in both hospitals.
    • Cooling towers and hot water systems are significant reservoirs for Legionella, including strains linked to patient infections.
    • It is essential to establish an epidemiologic association between environmental isolates and patient cases before initiating control measures like disinfection.