TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytopathogenicity and molecular subtyping of Legionella pneumophila environmental isolates from 17 hospitals
AU - Garcia-Nuñez, M.
AU - Pedro-Botet, M. L.
AU - Ragull, S.
AU - Sopena, N.
AU - Morera, J.
AU - Rey-Joly, C.
AU - Sabria, M.
PY - 2009/5/28
Y1 - 2009/5/28
N2 - The cytopathogenicity of 22 Legionella pneumophila isolates from 17 hospitals was determined by assessing the dose of bacteria necessary to produce 50% cytopathic effect (CPED50) in U937 human-derived macrophages. All isolates were able to infect and grow in macrophage-like cells (range log10 CPED50: 2.67-73 c.f.u./ml). Five groups were established and related to the serogroup, the number of PFGE patterns coexisting in the same hospital water distribution system, and the possible reporting of hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease cases. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates had the highest cytopathogenicity (P = 0.003). Moreover, a trend to more cytopathogenic groups (groups 1-3) in hospitals with more than one PFGE pattern of L. pneumophila in the water distribution system (60% vs. 17%) and in hospitals reporting cases of hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease (36.3% vs. 16.6%) was observed. We conclude that the cytopathogenicty of environmental L. pneumophila should be taken into account in evaluating the risk of a contaminated water reservoir in a hospital and hospital acquisition of Legionnaires' disease. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.
AB - The cytopathogenicity of 22 Legionella pneumophila isolates from 17 hospitals was determined by assessing the dose of bacteria necessary to produce 50% cytopathic effect (CPED50) in U937 human-derived macrophages. All isolates were able to infect and grow in macrophage-like cells (range log10 CPED50: 2.67-73 c.f.u./ml). Five groups were established and related to the serogroup, the number of PFGE patterns coexisting in the same hospital water distribution system, and the possible reporting of hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease cases. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates had the highest cytopathogenicity (P = 0.003). Moreover, a trend to more cytopathogenic groups (groups 1-3) in hospitals with more than one PFGE pattern of L. pneumophila in the water distribution system (60% vs. 17%) and in hospitals reporting cases of hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease (36.3% vs. 16.6%) was observed. We conclude that the cytopathogenicty of environmental L. pneumophila should be taken into account in evaluating the risk of a contaminated water reservoir in a hospital and hospital acquisition of Legionnaires' disease. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.
U2 - 10.1017/S0950268808000691
DO - 10.1017/S0950268808000691
M3 - Article
SN - 0950-2688
VL - 137
SP - 188
EP - 193
JO - Epidemiology and Infection
JF - Epidemiology and Infection
IS - 2
ER -