Legionella Infection Risk from Domestic Hot Water
نویسندگان
چکیده
We investigated Legionella and Pseudomonas contamination of hot water in a cross-sectional multicentric survey in Italy. Chemical parameters (hardness, free chlorine, and trace elements) were determined. Legionella spp. were detected in 33 (22.6%) and Pseudomonas spp. in 56 (38.4%) of 146 samples. Some factors associated with Legionella contamination were heater type, tank distance and capacity, water plant age, and mineral content. Pseudomonas presence was influenced by water source, hardness, free chlorine, and temperature. Legionella contamination was associated with a centralized heater, distance from the heater point >10 m, and a water plant >10 years old. Furthermore, zinc levels of <100 microg/L and copper levels of >50 microg/L appeared to be protective against Legionella colonization [corrected]. Legionella species and serogroups were differently distributed according to heater type, water temperature, and free chlorine, suggesting that Legionella strains may have a different sensibility and resistance to environmental factors and different ecologic niches.
منابع مشابه
Legionnaires' disease: evaluation of a quantitative microbial risk assessment model.
BACKGROUND The quantities of Legionella vary considerably from natural waters to water in contaminated domestic hot water supplies, whirlpool spas and cooling towers, with the risk for LD rising as the Legionella counts grow. We currently report the results from our Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) model evaluation. We developed the LD QMRA model to better understand Legionella exp...
متن کاملHot spring bath as the reservoir of Legionella bacterium.
Legionella are widely distributed in natural and man-made environments. In these environments, legionella can utilize metabolic products excreted by blue-green algae and other general bacteria, on the other hand they can multiply intracellularly within amoebaebody. The major infection route of legionella is via 1-5 |Lim diameter aerosols which contain the legionella and reach humanalveolar sept...
متن کاملDetection of Legionella spp. from Domestic Water in the Prefecture of Arta, Greece
The aim of this research was the isolation of Legionella spp. from domestic water supply networks in the Prefecture of Arta. A total of 100 water samples, from 25 houses, were collected. Half of the samples concerned the cold water and half the hot water supply. Purpose was to detect colonization of the water networks with Legionella spp. >500 cfu/L by using the method of filtration (ISO 11731)...
متن کاملEfficacy of new point-of-use water filter for preventing exposure to Legionella and waterborne bacteria.
BACKGROUND Legionella species cause health care-acquired infections in which immunocompromised patients are disproportionately affected. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that point-of-use water fixtures are the reservoirs for these infections. The current approach to prevention is system-wide chemical disinfection of the hospital water system. These methods affect both low-risk and high-...
متن کاملCluster of Legionnaires disease in a newly built block of flats, Denmark, December 2008 - January 2009.
During December 2008 to January 2009, two persons contracted Legionnaires’ disease in a newly built block of flats in a suburb of Copenhagen in Denmark. Polymerase chain reaction and culture was used to diagnose Legionnaires’ disease in this cluster. Isolates from both patients tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 subgroup Philadelphia sequence type 1 and the same strain was d...
متن کامل