scholarly journals A Snapshot of the Prevalence and Molecular Diversity of Legionella pneumophila in the Water Systems of Israeli Hotels

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 414
Author(s):  
Eugenia Yakunin ◽  
Eszter Kostyal ◽  
Vered Agmon ◽  
Itamar Grotto ◽  
Lea Valinsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Molecular Diversity ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
National Database ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Hot Tubs

Exposure to Legionella spp. contaminated aerosols in hotel settings confers risk for travel-associated Legionnaire’s disease (TALD). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of Legionella contamination and its molecular diversity in hotels and resorts across Israel. The study was comprised of a convenience sample of water systems from 168 hotels and resorts countrywide, routinely inspected between March 2015 and February 2017. Isolation and quantitation of Legionella were performed in a water laboratory using the ISO 11731 method. The distribution of Legionella isolates was analyzed according to geography and source. The genetic diversity of a subset of isolates was analyzed by sequence-based typing (SBT) at the National Reference Laboratory for Legionella and compared to the national database. Out of 2830 samples tested, 470 (17%) obtained from 102 different premises (60% of hotels) were positive for Legionella spp. In 230 samples (49% of all positive, 8% of total samples), accounting for 37% of hotels, Legionella spp. counts exceeded the regulatory threshold of 1000 CFU/L. The most frequently contaminated water sources were cooling towers (38%), followed by faucets, hot tubs, water lines, and storage tanks (14–17% each). Furthermore, 32% and 17% of samples obtained from cooling towers and hot tubs, respectively, exceeded the regulatory thresholds. SBT was performed on 78 strains and revealed 27 different sequence types (STs), including two novel STs. The most prevalent STs found were ST1 (26%), ST87 (10%), ST93 (6%), and ST461 and ST1516 (5% each). Several L. pneumophila STs were found to be limited to certain geographical regions. This is the first study to investigate the prevalence and diversity of Legionella in hotels and resorts in Israel during non-outbreak environmental inspections. These findings will inform risk assessment, surveillance, and control measures of TALD.

scholarly journals Toxoflavin secreted by Pseudomonas alcaliphila inhibits growth of Legionella pneumophila and its host Vermamoeba vermiformis

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien P. Faucher ◽  
Sara Matthews ◽  
Arvin Nickzad ◽  
Passoret Vounba ◽  
Deeksha Shetty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Bulk Water ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing

Legionella pneumophila is a natural inhabitant of water systems. From there, it can be transmitted to humans by aerosolization resulting in severe pneumonia. Most large outbreaks are caused by cooling towers contaminated with L. pneumophila. The resident microbiota of the cooling tower is a key determinant for the colonization and growth of L. pneumophila. The genus Pseudomonas correlates negatively with the presence of L. pneumophila, but it is not clear which species is responsible. Therefore, we identified the Pseudomonas species inhabiting 14 cooling towers using a Pseudomonas-specific 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing strategy. Cooling towers free of L. pneumophila contained a high relative abundance of members from the Pseudomonas alcaliphila/oleovorans phylogenetic cluster. In vitro, P. alcaliphila JCM 10630 inhibited the growth of L. pneumophila on agar plates. Analysis of the P. alcaliphila genome revealed the presence of a genes cluster predicted to produce toxoflavin. L. pneumophila growth was inhibited by pure toxoflavin and by extract from P. alcaliphila culture found to contain toxoflavin by LC-ESI-MS. In addition, toxoflavin inhibits growth of Vermameoba vermiformis, a host cell of L. pneumophila. Our study indicates that P. alcaliphila may be important to restrict growth of L. pneumophila in water systems through the production of toxoflavin. A sufficiently high concentration is likely not achieved in the bulk water but might have a local inhibitory effect such as in biofilm.

scholarly journals 1649. That’s Not Cricket! Outbreak of Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) in a Community Cricket Club in the UK, 2018: Challenges in Legionella Control in This Setting

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S603-S603
Author(s):  
Natalie Wright ◽  
Deborah Fenelon ◽  
Rachel Fleeson ◽  
Diane Coopey ◽  
Jeremy Hawker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Sputum Sample ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Partial Result ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Disease Surveillance System ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Cricket clubs in the UK are frequently collocated with community venues which host a range of activities, often for vulnerable members of society, such as children and elderly people. In July 2018, two cases of local laboratory-confirmed Legionnaires’ disease were notified to Public Health England (PHE). The cases were found to be players in the same cricket team (via the enhanced Legionnaires’ disease surveillance system) and had multiple shared potential exposures during their incubation periods. Methods A three-pronged outbreak investigation was conducted, with epidemiological, microbiological, and environmental components. Case-finding and potential shared exposures were identified through completion and analysis of Legionella enhanced surveillance questionnaires. Following risk assessment, environmental samples were obtained from aerosolizing outlets at identified sites. Additionally, sputum and urine samples were obtained from cases. All samples were sent to the PHE reference laboratory for confirmation of species and sequence typing. Results All cases were confirmed as L. pneumophila serogroup 1. Only one case provided a sputum sample suitable for sequence typing, which yielded a partial result. This result was consistent with a strain of L. pneumophila found in abundance at numerous water outlets at a local cricket club epidemiologically linked to all cases. On the emergence of these findings, control measures were put in place to prevent further exposure to the pathogen including shot-dosing of the water systems and closure of aerosolizing outlets. However, eradication of the organism proved challenging. Conclusion This is the first known outbreak of L. pneumophila epidemiologically and microbiologically linked to a cricket club in the UK. Control of the outbreak was challenging for two reasons. Firstly, the nature of the setting as a community venue meant that there was a large number of people potentially exposed, many with characteristics putting them at increased risk of Legionnaires’ disease. Secondly, the cricket club was run by a committee of volunteers with limited expertise and financial resource. There was a resultant lack of clarity about who was ultimately responsible for Legionella risk management and the implementation of control measures. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals The Impact of Storms on Legionella pneumophila in Cooling Tower Water, Implications for Human Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin L. Brigmon ◽  
Charles E. Turick ◽  
Anna S. Knox ◽  
Courtney E. Burckhalter
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Count Data ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Cooling Tower ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
The Impact

At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, SC, cooling tower water is routinely monitored for Legionella pneumophila concentrations using a direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) technique. Historically, 25–30 operating SRS cooling towers have varying concentrations of Legionella in all seasons of the year, with patterns that are unpredictable. Legionellosis, or Legionnaires’ disease (LD), is a pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria that thrive both in man-made water distribution systems and natural surface waters including lakes, streams, and wet soil. Legionnaires’ disease is typically contracted by inhaling L. pneumophila, most often in aerosolized mists that contain the bacteria. At the SRS, L. pneumophila is typically found in cooling towers ranging from non-detectable up to 108 cells/L in cooling tower water systems. Extreme weather conditions contributed to elevations in L. pneumophila to 107–108 cells/L in SRS cooling tower water systems in July–August 2017. L. pneumophila concentrations in Cooling Tower 785-A/2A located in SRS A-Area, stayed in the 108 cells/L range despite biocide addition. During this time, other SRS cooling towers did not demonstrate this L. pneumophila increase. No significant difference was observed in the mean L. pneumophila mean concentrations for the towers (p < 0.05). There was a significant variance observed in the 285-2A/A Tower L. pneumophila results (p < 0.05). Looking to see if we could find “effects” led to model development by analyzing 13 months of water chemistry and microbial data for the main factors influencing the L. pneumophila concentrations in five cooling towers for this year. It indicated chlorine and dissolved oxygen had a significant impact (p < 0.0002) on cooling tower 785A/2A. Thus, while the variation in the log count data for the A-area tower is statistically greater than that of the other four towers, the average of the log count data for the A-Area tower was in line with that of the other towers. It was also observed that the location of 785A/2A and basin resulted in more debris entering the system during storm events. Our results suggest that future analyses should evaluate the impact of environmental conditions and cooling tower design on L. pneumophila water concentrations and human health.

scholarly journals Distribution of Sequence-Based Types of Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 Strains Isolated from Cooling Towers, Hot Springs, and Potable Water Systems in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 2150-2157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Qin ◽  
Haijian Zhou ◽  
Hongyu Ren ◽  
Hong Guan ◽  
Machao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Cooling Tower ◽  
Hot Spring ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legionnaires Disease

ABSTRACTLegionella pneumophilaserogroup 1 causes Legionnaires' disease. Water systems contaminated withLegionellaare the implicated sources of Legionnaires' disease. This study analyzedL. pneumophilaserogroup 1 strains in China using sequence-based typing. Strains were isolated from cooling towers (n= 96), hot springs (n= 42), and potable water systems (n= 26). Isolates from cooling towers, hot springs, and potable water systems were divided into 25 sequence types (STs; index of discrimination [IOD], 0.711), 19 STs (IOD, 0.934), and 3 STs (IOD, 0.151), respectively. The genetic variation among the potable water isolates was lower than that among cooling tower and hot spring isolates. ST1 was the predominant type, accounting for 49.4% of analyzed strains (n= 81), followed by ST154. With the exception of two strains, all potable water isolates (92.3%) belonged to ST1. In contrast, 53.1% (51/96) and only 14.3% (6/42) of cooling tower and hot spring, respectively, isolates belonged to ST1. There were differences in the distributions of clone groups among the water sources. The comparisons amongL. pneumophilastrains isolated in China, Japan, and South Korea revealed that similar clones (ST1 complex and ST154 complex) exist in these countries. In conclusion, in China, STs had several unique allelic profiles, and ST1 was the most prevalent sequence type of environmentalL. pneumophilaserogroup 1 isolates, similar to its prevalence in Japan and South Korea.

74. Legionella Investigations in Cooling Towers and Hot Water Systems

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Chamorro ◽  
J. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Water Systems ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Cooling Towers

Legionnaire’s disease and COVID-19: Could Legionella be acting in conjunction with the Corona virus to aggravate the COVID-19 disease?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew John PENDERY
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Contaminated Water ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Corona Virus ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Legionnaire's Disease ◽  
Legionnaire’S Disease

There are some striking similarities between Legionnaire’s disease and COVID-19. Thesymptoms, age group and sex at risk are identical. The geographical distribution of both diseases is similar in Europe overall, and within the USA, France and Italy. The environmental distributions are also similar. However Legionnaire’s disease is caused by Legionella bacteria while COVID-19 is caused by the Corona virus. Whereas COVID-19 is contagious, Legionnaire’s disease is environmental. Legionella bacteria are commonly found in drinking water systems and near air conditioning cooling towers. Legionnaire’sdisease is caught by inhaling contaminated water droplets. The Legionella bacteria does not spread person to person and only causes disease if it enters the lungs.Could the Corona virus be making it easier for Legionella bacteria to enter the lungs?

scholarly journals Global Distribution and Genetic Heterogeneity of Border Disease Virus

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 950
Author(s):  
Cecilia Righi ◽  
Stefano Petrini ◽  
Ilaria Pierini ◽  
Monica Giammarioli ◽  
Gian Mario De Mia
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Border Disease Virus ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Border Disease

Border disease virus (BDV) belongs to the genus Pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae. Interspecies transmission of BDV between sheep, cattle, and pigs occurs regularly, sometimes making diagnosis a challenge. BDV can yield substantial economic losses, including prenatal and postnatal infections in lambs, which are the primary source of infection and maintenance of the virus in the population. Since BDV is antigenically and genetically related to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), it might pose a significant risk to cattle, influencing BVDV eradication campaigns. Similarly, the presence of BDV in swine herds due to pestivirus spillover between small ruminants and pigs might cause uncertainty in classical swine fever virus (CSFV) diagnostics. Therefore, knowledge of BDV epidemiology in different geographical regions will help prevent its spread and optimize control measures. Previous epidemiological studies have shown that various BDV genotypes are predominant in different countries. This review provides an overview of the spread of BDV world-wide in different host species.

scholarly journals On Synthesis and Optimization of Cooling Water Systems with Multiple Cooling Towers

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 3775-3787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khunedi Vincent Gololo ◽  
Thokozani Majozi
Keyword(s):  
Cooling Water ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Cooling Towers

scholarly journals Highlighting the Potency of Biosurfactants Produced by Pseudomonas Strains as Anti-Legionella Agents

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clémence Loiseau ◽  
Emilie Portier ◽  
Marie-Hélène Corre ◽  
Margot Schlusselhuber ◽  
Ségolène Depayras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
Reverse Phase Hplc ◽  
Reverse Phase ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
Culture Supernatants ◽  
Multispecies Biofilms

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, is a waterborne bacterium mainly found in man-made water systems in close association with free-living amoebae and multispecies biofilms. Pseudomonas strains, originating from various environments including freshwater systems or isolated from hospitalized patients, were tested for their antagonistic activity towards L. pneumophila. A high amount of tested strains was thus found to be active. This antibacterial activity was correlated to the presence of tensioactive agents in culture supernatants. As Pseudomonas strains were known to produce biosurfactants, these compounds were specifically extracted and purified from active strains and further characterized using reverse-phase HPLC and mass spectrometry methods. Finally, all biosurfactants tested (lipopeptides and rhamnolipids) were found active and this activity was shown to be higher towards Legionella strains compared to various other bacteria. Therefore, described biosurfactants are potent anti-Legionella agents that could be used in the water treatment industry although tests are needed to evaluate how effective they would be under field conditions.

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