title: Legionella Risk Management and Control in Potable Water Systems: Argument for the Abolishment of Routine Testing.
abstract: Legionellais an opportunistic pathogen of public health significance. One of the main sources ofLegionellais potable water systems. As a consequence of aging populations there is an increasing demographic considered at high risk for Legionellosis and, as such, a review of the guidelines is required. Worldwide,Legionellahas been detected from many potable water sources, suggesting it is ubiquitous in this environment. Previous studies have identified the limitations of the current standard method forLegionelladetection and the high possibility of it returning both false negative and false positive results. There is also huge variability inLegionellatest results for the same water sample when conducted at different laboratories. However, many guidelines still recommend the testing of water systems. This commentary argues for the removal of routineLegionellamonitoring from all water distribution guidelines. This procedure is financially consuming and false negatives may result in managers being over-confident with a system or a control mechanism. Instead, the presence of the pathogen should be assumed and focus spent on managing appropriate control measures and protecting high-risk population groups.
authors.affiliation: Health and the Environment, School of the Environment, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, Australia. Harriet.Whiley@flinders.edu.au.
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whiley
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007876:Legionellosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012308:Risk Management; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water
keywords: L. pneumophila; Legionella; Legionnaires disease; guidelines; monitoring; potable water; risk assessment; risk management; water distribution systems