title: Field evaluation of a new point-of-use faucet filter for preventing exposure to Legionella and other waterborne pathogens in health care facilities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Opportunistic waterborne pathogens (eg, Legionella, Pseudomonas) may persist in water distribution systems despite municipal chlorination and secondary disinfection and can cause health care-acquired infections. Point-of-use (POU) filtration can limit exposure to pathogens; however, their short maximum lifetime and membrane clogging have limited their use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new faucet filter rated at 62 days was evaluated at a cancer center in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Five sinks were equipped with filters, and 5 sinks served as controls. Hot water was collected weekly for 17 weeks and cultured for Legionella, Pseudomonas, and total bacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Legionella was removed from all filtered samples for 12 weeks. One colony was recovered from 1 site at 13 weeks; however, subsequent tests were negative through 17 weeks of testing. Total bacteria were excluded for the first 2 weeks, followed by an average of 1.86 log reduction in total bacteria compared with controls. No Pseudomonas was recovered from filtered or control faucets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This next generation faucet filter eliminated Legionella beyond the 62 day manufacturers' recommended maximum duration of use. These new POU filters will require fewer change-outs than standard filters and could be a cost-effective method for preventing exposure to Legionella and other opportunistic waterborne pathogens in hospitals with high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Special Pathogens Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Julianne L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Meadville Medical Center, Meadville, PA.
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Meadville Medical Center, Meadville, PA.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shafer
authors.affiliation: Meadville Medical Center, Meadville, PA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: MacMurray
authors.affiliation: Special Pathogens Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address: jstout@specialpathogenslab.com.
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stout
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D058491:Bacterial Load; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D006268:Health Facilities; D007875:Legionella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013997:Time Factors; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply
keywords: Faucet filters; Heterotrophic plate count; Legionella; Legionella pneumophila; Point-of-use filtration; Total bacteria