Correlation between Legionella contamination in water and surrounding air.
We evaluated Legionella pneumophila contamination of water and surrounding air in a burn care department equipped with bathtubs. In water, the bacterium always aerosolized, but in surrounding air, it diluted itself to such a point that it became undetectable at 1 m or more from the source of emission, which indicated that patients were at low risk of inhaling a dangerous quantity of the microbe.
Crimi
Paolo
P
Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. paolo.crimi@hsanmartino.liguria.it
Macrina
Gianni
G
Grieco
Antonio
A
Tinteri
Carola
C
Copello
Laura
L
Rebora
Daniela
D
Galli
Angelo
A
Rizzetto
Rolando
R
D000391:Air Microbiology; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology