Hospital setting/ICUs
Looking at the hospital setting, they do represent an ideal location for pneumonia transmission that leads to nosocomial infection because of the 1.) presence of large number of individuals who are immunocompromised, whom some are mechanically ventilated, 2.) the presence of numerous sources of organisms that causes pneumonia (other sick patients, contaminated gloves or aerosol generating equipment) (WHO, 2007).
Methods of detection
There are several methods used for the detection of Legionella from environmental water samples. The plate culture method is the standard method used for the detection of Legionella. But in order to know the distribution of Legionella species and serogroups, Latex agglutination with antisera…show more content… However there are several limitations of the plating method and these are, a) these are prolonged incubation periods, b) bacterial losses due to sample centrifugation or filtration and decontamination steps, c) presence of contaminating microorganisms which may interfere with Legionella growth, thus decreasing sensitivity d) and presence of Legionella cells as viable but not cultivable (VBNC) organisms (Bartie et al., 2003; Delgado-Viscogliosi et al., 2005; Alleron,…show more content… In recent years, different PCR-based methods (based on 16S rRNA, 5S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes and on the mip gene encoding the macrophage infectivity potentiator gene of L. pneumophila) for detection and quantification of of Legionella in water samples have been described and can moderate the main drawbacks of culture-based methods (Delgado-Viscogliosi et al., 2005; Nazatian et al., 2008; Villari, Motti and Torre, 1998). The development of more rapid, culture-independent methods able to discriminating between live and dead cells is very important for assessing Legionella infection risks and preventing legionellosis (Delgado-Viscogliosi et al.,
