title: Detection of Legionella species in environmental water by the quantitative PCR method in combination with ethidium monoazide treatment.
abstract: We detected Legionella species in 111 bath water samples and 95 cooling tower water samples by using a combination of conventional plate culture, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and qPCR combined with ethidium monoazide treatment (EMA-qPCR) methods. In the case of bath water samples, Legionella spp. were detected in 30 samples by plate culture, in 85 samples by qPCR, and in 49 samples by EMA-qPCR. Of 81 samples determined to be Legionella-negative by plate culture, 56 and 23 samples were positive by qPCR and EMA-qPCR, respectively. Therefore, EMA treatment decreased the number of Legionella-positive bath water samples detected by qPCR. In contrast, EMA treatment had no effect on cooling tower water samples. We therefore expect that EMA-qPCR is a useful method for the rapid detection of viable Legionella spp. from bath water samples.
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Aquas Corporation.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takama
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshizaki
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agata
mesh_terms: D001386:Azides / Q000378:metabolism*; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000379:methods*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D007875:Legionella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology*; D050296:Microbial Viability; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C014535:8-azidoethidium