Occurrence of Legionella spp. in water samples from selected basins in the Lesser Poland (Southern Poland) and identification of the main serogroups
Keywords:
gram-negative bacilli, pathogenicity, swimming pool water, serotypesAbstract
Legionella are small gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria. Some species occur in the environment and are not pathogenic while the species Legionella pneumophila cause the majority of human infections. Legionella are relatively resistant to standard water disinfection procedures, and, can occur in potable water. They can also survive within biofilms formed in aquatic systems. Sporadic and epidemic cases of legionellosis occur all over the world. Legionella are transmitted directly from the environment to humans. Infection results from exposure to contaminated aerosols, e.g. under showers, fountains, swimming pools, swimming pool basins, air humidifiers, and air conditioning, hot water installations in car washes. L. pneumophila is divided into 15 serogroups, among which serogroup 1 is the most prevalent disease-causing variant. The aim of this work was to present the frequency of Legionella occurrence in water samples collected in the period of October to December 2021 from selected swimming pools in Lesser Poland and to identify the main serogroups of Legionella spp., which may be dangerous due to their pathogenicity.
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Zwalczanie Legionelli - jak można pozbyć się grożnej bakterii (legionella.pl) [in Polish]
