Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T00:46:49.677Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Legionella pneumophila Grows Adherent to Surfaces in vitro and in situ

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

J.B. Wright ,
I. Ruseska ,
M.A. Athar ,
S. Corbett  and
J.W. Costerton
J.B. Wright*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta
I. Ruseska
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta
M.A. Athar
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Calgary District Hospital Group, Calgary, Alberta
S. Corbett
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Calgary District Hospital Group, Calgary, Alberta
J.W. Costerton
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta
*
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaT2N LW4
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila continues to play a role in both community- and nosocomially-acquired pneumonia. We investigated the ability of L pneumophila to adhere to various types of materials such as those found in the hospital air-cooling and potable water distribution systems. Through the use of a unique sampling apparatus, we were able to regularly acquire planktonic and sessile samples and determine the numbers of bacteria present in both populations, in vitro and in situ.

Portions of these apparatuses could be aseptically removed for examination by scanning electron microscopy, or for the determination of the number of viable adherent L pneumophila. The number of bacteria present in each sample was determined by direct plate count, with presumptive L pneumophila colonies being positively identified by direct fluorescent antibody staining techniques.

The results demonstrated that not only are legionellae capable of colonizing various metallic and nonmetallic surfaces but that they are preferentially found on surfaces. Surface-adherent bacteria may play a profound role as a reservoir of these potential pathogens in aquatic environments. Furthermore, these results suggest that any comprehensive legionella monitoring program must include not only water samples but also an examination of the adherent populations.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 10 , Issue 9 , September 1989 , pp. 408 - 415
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Centers for Disease Control: Follow-up on respiratory illness-Philadephia. MMWR 1977; 26:9–11.Google Scholar
2. Ewan, P: Environmental Legionella . Can Med Assoc J; 133:1233.Google Scholar
3. Cordes, LG, Fraser, DG: Legionellosis, Legionnaires' disease; Pontiac fever. Med Clin A'Am 1980; 64:395–416.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Fraser, DW, Tsai, TF, Ornstein, W, et al: Legionnaires' disease: Description of an epidemic of pneumonia. N Engl J Med 1977; 297:1189–1197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. McDade, JE, Shephard, CC, Fraser, DW, et al: Legionnaires' disease: Isolation of a bacterium and demonstration of its role in other respiratory disease. N Engl J Med 1977: 297:1197–1203.10.1056/NEJM197712012972202CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Glick, TH, Gregg, MB, Berman, B, et al: Pontiac fever. An epidemic of unknown etiology in a health department. I. Clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Am J Epidemiol 1978; 107:149–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Dondero, TJ, Rendtroff, RC, Mallison, GF, et al: An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a contaminated air-conditioning cooling tower. N Engl J Med 1980; 302:365–370.10.1056/NEJM198002143020703CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Girod, JC, Reichman, KC, Winn, WC Jr, et al: Pneumonic and non-pneumonic forms of legionellosis: The results of a common-source exposure to Legionella pneumophila . Arch Intern Med 1982; 142:545–547.10.1001/archinte.1982.00340160125024CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Ikedo, M, Yabuuchi, C: Ecological studies of Legionella spp. I. Viable counts of Legionella pneumophila in cooling tower water . Microbiol Immunol 1986; 30:413–423.10.1111/j.1348-0421.1986.tb02967.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. States, SJ. Conley, LF, Kuchta, JM, et al: Survival and multiplication of Legionella pneumophila in municipal drinking water systems. Appl Environ Microbiol 1987: 53:979–986.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Vickers, RM, Yu, VL. Hanna, S, et al: Determinants of Legionella pneumophila contamination of water distribution systems: A 15-hospital prospective study. Infect Control 1987; 8:357–363.10.1017/S0195941700067412CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Woo, AH, Yu, VL, Goetz, A: Potential in-hospital modes of transmission of Legionella pneumophila: Demonstration experiments for dissemination by showers, humidifiers, and rinsing of ventilation bag apparatus. Am J Med 1986; 80:567–573.10.1016/0002-9343(86)90809-0CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Zuravleff, J, Yu, VL. Shonnard, J, et al: Legionella pneumophila contamination of a hospital humidifier: Demonstration of aerosol transmission and subsequent subclinical infection in exposed guinea pigs. Am Rev Resp Dis 1983; 128:657–661.Google ScholarPubMed
14. Phillips, SJ, Zeff, RH, Gervich, D: Legionnaires' disease. Am Thorac Med 1987; 44:564.10.1016/S0003-4975(10)62132-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Marrie, TJ, Gass, R, Sumarah, R, et al: Legionella pneumophila in a physiotherapy pool. Eur J Clin Microbiol 1987: 6:212.10.1007/BF02018220CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Witherell, LE, Orciari, LA, Spitanly, KC, et al: Disinfection of Legionella pneumophila-conlammated whirlpool spas, in Thornsberry, C, Balows, A, Jakobowski, W (eds): Legionella: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium, Washington, DC, American Society of Microbiology Press, 1984.Google Scholar
17. Fliermans, CB, Cherry, WB, Orrison, LH, et al: Ecological distribution of Legionella pneumophila . Appl Environ Microbial 1981; 41:9–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Fliermans, CB: Ecological niche of Legionella Pneumophila (sic), in Katz, SM (ed): Legionellosis. Boca Raton, Fla, Chemical Rubber Company Press, 1985.Google Scholar
19. Helms, CM, Massanari, M, Wenzel, RP. et al: Legionnaires' disease associated with a hospital water system: A five-year progress report on continuous hyperchlorination./ Am Med Assoc 1988; 259:2323–2327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Groothuis, DC, Veenendaal, HR, Dijkstra, HL: Influence of temperature on the number of Legionella pneumophila in hot water systems. J Appl Bacteriol 1985; 59:529–536.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. England, AC III, Fraser, DW, Mallison, GF, et al: Failure of Legionella pneumophila sensitivities to predict culture results from disinfectant-treated air-conditioning cooling towers. Appl Environ Microbiol 1983; 43:240–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Fliermans, CB, Harvey, RS: Effectiveness of l-bromo-3-chloro-5, 5-methylhydanton against Legionella pneumophila in a cooling tower. Appl Environ Microbiol 1984; 47:1307–1310.10.1128/aem.47.6.1307-1310.1984CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Redd, SC, Cohen, MC: Legionella in water: What should be done? J Am Med Assoc 1987; 257:1221–1222.10.1001/jama.1987.03390090093033CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24. Wright, JB, Athar, MA, van Olm, TM, et al: Atypical legionellosis: Isolation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 from a patient with aspiration pneumonia. J Hosp Infect 1989: 13:187–190.10.1016/0195-6701(89)90026-1CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25. Yu, VL, Beam, JTR, Lumish, RM, et al: Routine culturing for Legionella in the hospital environment may be a good idea: A three-hospital prospective study. J Am Med Soc 1987; 30:97–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26. Marshall, KC: Interfaces in Microbial Ecology, Cambridge. Mass, Harvard University Press, 1976.10.4159/harvard.9780674423350CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27. Uhlinger, DJ. White, DC: Relationship between physiological status and formation of extracellular polysaccharide glycocalyx in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Appl Environ Microbial 1983; 45:64–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28. Geesey, GG, Mutch, R, Costerton, JW, et al: Sessile bacteria: An important component of the microbial populations in small mountain streams. Limnol Oceanogr 1978; 23:1214–1223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29. Schofield, GM, Locci, R: Colonization of components of a model hot water system by Legionella pneumophila . J Appl Bacteriol 1985; 58:151–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30. Schofield, GM, Locci, R: The persistence of Legionella pneumophila in non-sterile, sterile and artificial hard waters and their growth pattern on tap washer fittings./ Appl Bacteriol 1985; 59:519–527.10.1111/j.1365-2672.1985.tb03355.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31. Dennis, PJ, Bartlett, CLR, Wright, AE: Comparison of isolation methods fix Legionella spp., in Thornsberry, C, Balows, A, Jakobowski, W (eds): Legionella: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium, Washington, DC, American Society for Microbiology Press, 1984.Google Scholar
32. Horwitz, W (ed): Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington, DC, Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 1980, 4.027–4.028.Google Scholar
33. Pope, DH, Soracco, RJ, Gill, HK, et al: Growth of Legionella pneumophila in two-membered cultures with green algae and cyanobacteria. Curr Microbiol 1982; 7:319–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34. Nickel, JC, Wright, JB, Ruseska, I, et al: Antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonizing a urinary tract catheter in vitro. Eur J Clin Microbial 1985; 4:213–218.10.1007/BF02013600CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35. Cherry, WB, McKinney, RM: Detection of Legionnaires' disease bacteria m clinical specimens by direct immunofluorescence, in Jones, CL, Hébert, GH (eds): “Legionnaires”: The Disease, the Bacterium and Methodology. Atlanta, US Department of Health, Education and Welfare (Centers for Disease Control), 1979.Google Scholar
36. Bryers, JD, Characklis, WG: Processes governing primary biofilm formation. Biotechnol Bioeng 1982; 24:2451–2476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37. Kefford, B, Humphrey, BA, Marshall, KC: Adhesion: A possible survival strategy for leptospires under starvation conditions. Curr Microbiol 1986; 13:247–250.10.1007/BF01568647CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38. Albright, LJ, Wentworth, JW, Wilson, EM: Techniques for measuring metallic salt effects upon the indigenous heterotrophic microflora of a natural water. Water Res 1972; 6:1589–1596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
39. Ahring, BK, Waterman, P: Sensitivity of the thermophilic methanogenic bacteria to heavy metals . Curr Microbiol 1985; 12:273–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40. Lawrence, JR, Caldwell, DE: Behavior of bacterial stream populations within the hydrodynamic boundary layers of surface microenvironments. Microbiol Ecol 1987; 14:15–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41. Costerton, JW, Irwin, RT, Cheng, K-J: The bacterial glycocalyx in nature and disease. Ann Rev Microbiol 1981; 35:299–324.10.1146/annurev.mi.35.100181.001503CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42. Costerton, JW: The formation of bacterial exopolysaccharides in nature and disease. Dev Indust Microbiol 1985; 26:249–261.Google Scholar
43. Rowbotham, TJ: Preliminary report of the pathogenicity of Legionella pneumophila for freshwater amoebae. J Clin Pathol 1980; 33:1179–1183.10.1136/jcp.33.12.1179CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44. Wadowsky, RM, Butler, LJ, Cook, MK, et al: Growth-supporting activity for Legionella pneumophila in tap water cultures and implication of Hartmannellid amoebae as growth factors. Appl Environ Microbiol 1988; 54:2677–2682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
45. Fields, BS, Sanden, GN, Barbaree, JM, et al: Intracellular multiplication of Legionella pneumophila in amoebae isolated from hospital hot water tanks. Curr Microbiol 1989; 18:131–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar