Legionella - Risks, Detection, and Prevention
Legionella is a waterborne bacterium known for causing Legionnaires' disease, a severe type of pneumonia.
Risks
Legionella is a concern in healthcare environments, like surgical centers and hospitals, where patients may be immunocompromised and at risk for infection. Often associated with plumbing, cooling towers, sinks, ventilation, and surgical equipment processing, Legionella thrives in warm, stagnant water systems. Transmission occurs through inhalation of the aerosolized contaminated water. Any water source, especially ones that generate aerosols and can be dispersed to the patient, presents a risk to safety. Common symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath; but complications can be severe pneumonia, sepsis, or increased postoperative mortality.
Detection
Routine surveillance of hospital water systems is critical - continued environmental monitoring is key to early detection. To sample, collect water from sinks or devices throughout your facility. The water is then sent to a lab (like us!) where we will begin culturing the sample onto agar to promote the growth of any Legionella present in the sample. This can take up to 14 days to grow, which stresses the importance of monitoring BEFORE there is any risk, and at regular intervals. Other, faster testing options are available when testing is needed in response to an outbreak, however these options are more costly and are not recommended for routine testing. There are many types of Legionella bacterium, but the most clinically relevant species is Legionella pneumophila.
Prevention
Water Management Programs: Maintain hot water temperatures above 60 C, prevent stagnation in pipes, flushing outlets, develop monthly testing program
Disinfection Methods: Chlorination, Copper-silver ionization, UV Treatments
Equipment Maintenance: Regular cleaning of any units, using sterile or filtered water where appropriate, avoiding tap water in sterile procedures
Point-of-Use Filtration: Installation of 0.2 micron filters on faucets and showers in high-risk areas
What LAB 797 Can Help With
LAB 797 can help your facility with designing a regular testing regimen with the early detection of any Legionella risk in mind. Our self-service kits are sent directly to your facility with all the supplies needed to sample. Once sampling is complete, send the kits back to the lab and we do the rest. Reports clearly indicate whether Legionella pneumophila is present in the sample.
Legionella represents a hidden but serious threat to the healthcare industry. Early detection with robust environmental monitoring can help negate the risks of severe infection caused by Legionella to your patients.