Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1982 Jun;43(6):1330–1334. doi: 10.1128/aem.43.6.1330-1334.1982

Multiplication of Legionella pneumophila in unsterilized tap water.

R B Yee, R M Wadowsky
PMCID: PMC244236  PMID: 7103487

Abstract

Naturally occurring Legionella pneumophila, an environmental isolate which had not been grown on artificial medium, was tested for the ability to multiply in tap water. A showerhead containing L. pneumophila and non-Legionellaceae bacteria was immersed in nonsterile tap water supplying this fixture. Also L. pneumophila and non-Legionellaceae bacteria were sedimented from tap water from a surgical intensive care unit. This bacterial suspension was inoculated into tap water from our laboratory. The legionellae in both suspensions multiplied in the tap water at 32, 37, and 42 degrees C. The non-Legionellaceae bacteria multiplied at 25, 32, and 37 degrees C. A water sample which was collected from the bottom of a hot water tank was found to contain L. pneumophila and non-Legionellaceae bacteria. These legionellae also multiplied when the water sample was incubated at 37 degrees C. These results indicate that L. pneumophila may multiply in warm water environments such as hot water plumbing fixtures, hot water tanks, and cooling towers.

Full text

PDF
1330

Selected References

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

  1. Cherry W. B., Pittman B., Harris P. P., Hebert G. A., Thomason B. M., Thacker L., Weaver R. E. Detection of Legionnaires disease bacteria by direct immunofluorescent staining. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Sep;8(3):329–338. doi: 10.1128/jcm.8.3.329-338.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Favero M. S., Carson L. A., Bond W. W., Petersen N. J. Pseudomonas aeruginosa: growth in distilled water from hospitals. Science. 1971 Aug 27;173(3999):836–838. doi: 10.1126/science.173.3999.836. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. 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]
  5. 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]
  6. Morris G. K., Patton C. M., Feeley J. C., Johnson S. E., Gorman G., Martin W. T., Skaliy P., Mallison G. F., Politi B. D., Mackel D. C. Isolation of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium from environmental samples. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):664–666. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ormsbee R. A., Peacock M. G., Bickel W. D., Fiset P. A comparison of some biologic characteristics of isolates of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1981 Jan-Feb;11(1):53–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pasculle A. W., Feeley J. C., Gibson R. J., Cordes L. G., Myerowitz R. L., Patton C. M., Gorman G. W., Carmack C. L., Ezzell J. W., Dowling J. N. Pittsburgh pneumonia agent: direct isolation from human lung tissue. J Infect Dis. 1980 Jun;141(6):727–732. doi: 10.1093/infdis/141.6.727. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Politi B. D., Fraser D. W., Mallison G. F., Mohatt J. V., Morris G. K., Patton C. M., Feeley J. C., Telle R. D., Bennett J. V. A major focus of Legionnaires' disease in Bloomington, Indiana. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):587–591. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-587. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rowbotham T. J. Preliminary report on the pathogenicity of Legionella pneumophila for freshwater and soil amoebae. J Clin Pathol. 1980 Dec;33(12):1179–1183. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.12.1179. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Skaliy P., McEachern H. V. Survival of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium in water. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):662–663. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-662. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tison D. L., Pope D. H., Cherry W. B., Fliermans C. B. Growth of Legionella pneumophila in association with blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Feb;39(2):456–459. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.2.456-459.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tobin J. O., Swann R. A., Bartlett C. L. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from water systems: methods and preliminary results. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Feb 14;282(6263):515–517. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6263.515. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Vickers R. M., Brown A., Garrity G. M. Dye-containing buffered charcoal-yeast extract medium for differentiation of members of the family Legionellaceae. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Feb;13(2):380–382. doi: 10.1128/jcm.13.2.380-382.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wadowsky R. M., Yee R. B. Glycine-containing selective medium for isolation of Legionellaceae from environmental specimens. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Nov;42(5):768–772. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.5.768-772.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wadowsky R. M., Yee R. B., Mezmar L., Wing E. J., Dowling J. N. Hot water systems as sources of Legionella pneumophila in hospital and nonhospital plumbing fixtures. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 May;43(5):1104–1110. doi: 10.1128/aem.43.5.1104-1110.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES