Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1987 Jul;53(7):1454–1458. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.7.1454-1458.1987

Protocol for sampling environmental sites for legionellae.

J M Barbaree 1, G W Gorman 1, W T Martin 1, B S Fields 1, W E Morrill 1
PMCID: PMC203891  PMID: 3662501

Abstract

A protocol for sampling environmental sites was developed and used to identify possible sources of Legionella species in support of epidemiologic investigations at two hospitals. In hospital A, legionellae were isolated from 43 of 106 (40%) different sites. Three separate Legionella pneumophila serotypes and a previously unrecognized species were present in different combinations in the positive samples. Two of five cooling towers contained the same L. pneumophila serogroup 1 monoclonal type (1,2,4,5) as was isolated from patients. The same monoclonal type was also isolated from make-up water for the two cooling towers, a hot water tank, water separators in four main air compressor systems for respiratory therapy, and cold and hot water faucets. In hospital B, 13 of 37 (38%) sample sites contained legionellae, all of which were L. pneumophila serogroup 1. The monoclonal type matching isolates from patients (1,2,4,5) was found at the highest concentration in a hot water tank, but it was also present at four other sample sites. Since legionellae not related to disease may be found in many of the sites sampled, an epidemiologic association with the probable source should be established before intervention methods, such as disinfection, are undertaken.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arnow P. M., Chou T., Weil D., Shapiro E. N., Kretzschmar C. Nosocomial Legionnaires' disease caused by aerosolized tap water from respiratory devices. J Infect Dis. 1982 Oct;146(4):460–467. doi: 10.1093/infdis/146.4.460. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bollin G. E., Plouffe J. F., Para M. F., Hackman B. Aerosols containing Legionella pneumophila generated by shower heads and hot-water faucets. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Nov;50(5):1128–1131. doi: 10.1128/aem.50.5.1128-1131.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ciesielski C. A., Blaser M. J., Wang W. L. Role of stagnation and obstruction of water flow in isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital plumbing. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 Nov;48(5):984–987. doi: 10.1128/aem.48.5.984-987.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cordes L. G., Fraser D. W., Skaliy P., Perlino C. A., Elsea W. R., Mallison G. F., Hayes P. S. Legionnaires' disease outbreak at an Atlanta, Georgia, Country Club: evidence for spread from an evaporative condenser. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Apr;111(4):425–431. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112917. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cordes L. G., Wiesenthal A. M., Gorman G. W., Phair J. P., Sommers H. M., Brown A., Yu V. L., Magnussen M. H., Meyer R. D., Wolf J. S. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital shower heads. Ann Intern Med. 1981 Feb;94(2):195–197. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-94-2-195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dondero T. J., Jr, Rendtorff R. C., Mallison G. F., Weeks R. M., Levy J. S., Wong E. W., Schaffner W. An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a contaminated air-conditioning cooling tower. N Engl J Med. 1980 Feb 14;302(7):365–370. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198002143020703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fliermans C. B., Cherry W. B., Orrison L. H., Smith S. J., Tison D. L., Pope D. H. Ecological distribution of Legionella pneumophila. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Jan;41(1):9–16. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.1.9-16.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fliermans C. B., Cherry W. B., Orrison L. H., Thacker L. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from nonepidemic-related aquatic habitats. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jun;37(6):1239–1242. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.6.1239-1242.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Garbe P. L., Davis B. J., Weisfeld J. S., Markowitz L., Miner P., Garrity F., Barbaree J. M., Reingold A. L. Nosocomial Legionnaires' disease. Epidemiologic demonstration of cooling towers as a source. JAMA. 1985 Jul 26;254(4):521–524. doi: 10.1001/jama.254.4.521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mangione E. J., Remis R. S., Tait K. A., McGee H. B., Gorman G. W., Wentworth B. B., Baron P. A., Hightower A. W., Barbaree J. M., Broome C. V. An outbreak of Pontiac fever related to whirlpool use, Michigan 1982. JAMA. 1985 Jan 25;253(4):535–539. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McKinney R. M., Thacker L., Wells D. E., Wong M. C., Jones W. J., Bibb W. F. Monoclonal antibodies to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1: possible applications in diagnostic tests and epidemiologic studies. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg A. 1983 Jul;255(1):91–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Neill M. A., Gorman G. W., Gibert C., Roussel A., Hightower A. W., McKinney R. M., Broome C. V. Nosocomial legionellosis, Paris, France. Evidence for transmission by potable water. Am J Med. 1985 Apr;78(4):581–588. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(85)90399-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES