Isolation and identification of Legionella pneumophila from material reclamation facilities.
Sampling points at a material reclamation facility (MRF) were monitored over three months for the presence of Legionella spp. A number of different Legionellae were isolated and typed to identify L. pneumophila serogroup 1, the serotype which is the most common human pathogen. Phenotypic methods resulted in a total of 61 presumptive isolates of Legionella spp. Using latex agglutination, 26 out of the 61 were identified as L. pneumophila serogroup 1, 23 as L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14, and the remaining 12 were Legionella spp. However, on typing using pulse field gel electrophoresis, the 26 L. pneumophila serotype 1 isolates were a diverse group of 25 PFGE types with none persisting in the environment over time. This diversity suggests that there are a number of contamination sources for this important human pathogen in the MRF environment which constitute a risk to health for operatives in these facilities.
Ali
Shanom
S
School of Health, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK.
Phillips
Carol Ann
CA
Phillips
Paul Scott
PS
Bates
Margaret
M
D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D014873:Water Pollutants