Abstract
Background and Objectives:Legionella is one of the most important water-related pathogens. Inside the water supply systems and the biofilms, Legionella interact with other bacteria and free-living amoeba (FLA). Several amoebas may serve as hosts for bacteria in aquatic systems. This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of Legionella spp. and FLA in drinking water supply systems. Materials and Methods: A total of 268 water samples were collected from apartment buildings, hotels, and public buildings. Detection of Legionella spp. was performed in accordance with ISO 11731:2017 standard. Three different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols were used to identify FLA. Results: Occurrence of Legionella varied from an average of 12.5% in cold water samples with the most frequent occurrence observed in hot water, in areas receiving untreated groundwater, where 54.0% of the samples were Legionella positive. The occurrence of FLA was significantly higher. On average, 77.2% of samples contained at least one genus of FLA and, depending on the type of sample, the occurrence of FLA could reach 95%. In the samples collected during the study, Legionella was always isolated along with FLA, no samples containing Legionella in the absence of FLA were observed. Conclusions: The data obtained in our study can help to focus on the extensive distribution, close interaction, and long-term persistence of Legionella and FLA. Lack of Legionella risk management plans and control procedures may promote further spread of Legionella in water supply systems. In addition, the high incidence of Legionella-related FLA suggests that traditional monitoring methods may not be sufficient for Legionella control.
Highlights
Legionella is gram-negative, ubiquitous bacteria that are most commonly found in man-made water systems
Occurrence of Legionella varied from an average of 12.5% in cold water samples with the most frequent occurrence observed in hot water, in areas receiving untreated groundwater, where 54.0% of the samples were Legionella positive
The data obtained in our study can help to focus on the extensive distribution, close interaction, and long-term persistence of Legionella and free-living amoeba (FLA)
Summary
Legionella is gram-negative, ubiquitous bacteria that are most commonly found in man-made water systems. Legionella is one of the most important water-related pathogens, which can lead to both outbreaks and sporadic cases. Dissemination of Legionella is carried out through water aerosols containing. Inside the water supply systems and the biofilms, Legionella come into contact with other bacteria and free-living amoeba (FLA). The most frequently isolated FLA are Acanthamoeba, Vermaoeba, and Naegleria [4] Certain amoeba genotypes, such as Acanthamoeba T4 and Naegleria fowleri, can be human. Legionella is one of the most important water-related pathogens. Inside the water supply systems and the biofilms, Legionella interact with other bacteria and free-living amoeba (FLA). This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of Legionella spp. and FLA in drinking water supply systems
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.