[Colony blot method for detection of legionellas--results of a comparative study]

In the following short communication a new commercially available immunoassay for the quantitative detection of Legionellae after cultivation was compared with the conventional method recommended by ISO in a study shared by 6 laboratories. After a training phase of the laboratory personal a very good agreement of immunological and conventional method was observed by testing 310 water samples. The colony blot assay for quantitative identification of Legionella spec. is a rapid and specific method and can be recommended for quantification of Legionella spec. in water samples.