Abstract
Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, monoclonal antibody typing for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, and plasmid analysis were used to type 89 L. pneumophila strains isolated from nosocomial cases of Legionnaires disease at the Veterans Administration Wadsworth Medical Center (VAWMC) and from the hospital environment. Twelve L. pneumophila clinical isolates, obtained from patients at non-VAWMC hospitals, were also typed by the same methods to determine typing specificity. Seventy-nine percent of 33 VAWMC L. pneumophila serogroup 1 clinical isolates and 70% of 23 environmental isolates were found in only one of the five monoclonal subgroups. Similar clustering was found for the other two typing methods, with excellent correlation between all methods. Enzyme electrophoretic typing divided the isolates into the greatest number of distinct groups, resulting in the identification of 10 different L. pneumophila types and 5 types not belonging to L. pneumophila, which probably constitute an undescribed Legionella species; 7 clinical and 34 environmental VAWMC isolates and 2 non-VAWMC clinical isolates were found to be members of the new species. Twelve different plasmid patterns were found; 95% of VAWMC clinical isolates contained plasmids. Major VAWMC epidemic-bacterial types were common in the hospital potable-water distribution system and cooling towers. Strains of L. pneumophila which persisted after disinfection of contaminated environmental sites were of a different type from the prechlorination strains. All three typing methods were useful in the epidemiologic analysis of the VAWMC outbreak.
Full text
PDFSelected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Arnow P. M., Weil D., Para M. F. Prevalence and significance of Legionella pneumophila contamination of residential hot-tap water systems. J Infect Dis. 1985 Jul;152(1):145–151. doi: 10.1093/infdis/152.1.145. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brown A., Vickers R. M., Elder E. M., Lema M., Garrity G. M. Plasmid and surface antigen markers of endemic and epidemic Legionella pneumophila strains. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Aug;16(2):230–235. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.2.230-235.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brown S. L., Bibb W. F., McKinney R. M. Use of monoclonal antibodies in an epidemiological marker system: a retrospective study of lung specimens from the 1976 outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Philadelphia by indirect fluorescent-antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Jan;21(1):15–19. doi: 10.1128/jcm.21.1.15-19.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chen G. C., Lema M., Brown A. Plasmid transfer into members of the family Legionellaceae. J Infect Dis. 1984 Oct;150(4):513–516. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.4.513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dreyfus L. A., Iglewski B. H. Conjugation-mediated genetic exchange in Legionella pneumophila. J Bacteriol. 1985 Jan;161(1):80–84. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.1.80-84.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ehret W., Ruckdeschel G. Membrane proteins of legionellaceae. I. Membrane proteins of different strains and serogroups of Legionella pneumophila. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg A. 1985 Jul;259(4):433–445. doi: 10.1016/s0176-6724(85)80075-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 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]
- Joly J. R., Chen Y. Y., Ramsay D. Serogrouping and subtyping of Legionella pneumophila with monoclonal antibodies. J Clin Microbiol. 1983 Nov;18(5):1040–1046. doi: 10.1128/jcm.18.5.1040-1046.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Joly J. R., Winn W. C. Correlation of subtypes of Legionella pneumophila defined by monoclonal antibodies with epidemiological classification of cases and environmental sources. J Infect Dis. 1984 Nov;150(5):667–671. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.5.667. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kado C. I., Liu S. T. Rapid procedure for detection and isolation of large and small plasmids. J Bacteriol. 1981 Mar;145(3):1365–1373. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.3.1365-1373.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maher W. E., Plouffe J. F., Para M. F. Plasmid profiles of clinical and environmental isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. J Clin Microbiol. 1983 Dec;18(6):1422–1423. doi: 10.1128/jcm.18.6.1422-1423.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 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]
- 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]
- Plouffe J. F., Para M. F., Maher W. E., Hackman B., Webster L. Subtypes of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 associated with different attack rates. Lancet. 1983 Sep 17;2(8351):649–650. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)92531-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Selander R. K., McKinney R. M., Whittam T. S., Bibb W. F., Brenner D. J., Nolte F. S., Pattison P. E. Genetic structure of populations of Legionella pneumophila. J Bacteriol. 1985 Sep;163(3):1021–1037. doi: 10.1128/jb.163.3.1021-1037.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shands K. N., Ho J. L., Meyer R. D., Gorman G. W., Edelstein P. H., Mallison G. F., Finegold S. M., Fraser D. W. Potable water as a source of Legionnaires' disease. JAMA. 1985 Mar 8;253(10):1412–1416. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Takahashi S., Nagano Y. Rapid procedure for isolation of plasmid DNA and application to epidemiological analysis. J Clin Microbiol. 1984 Oct;20(4):608–613. doi: 10.1128/jcm.20.4.608-613.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Watkins I. D., Tobin J. O., Dennis P. J., Brown W., Newnham R., Kurtz J. B. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 subgrouping by monoclonal antibodies--an epidemiological tool. J Hyg (Lond) 1985 Oct;95(2):211–216. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400062641. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- van Ketel R. J., ter Schegget J., Zanen H. C. Molecular epidemiology of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. J Clin Microbiol. 1984 Sep;20(3):362–364. doi: 10.1128/jcm.20.3.362-364.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]