Open AccessDistribution of legionellae in a hospital water system: prevalence of immunologically and genetically related Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 isolates
Author(s) -
Ott Manfred,
Bender Larisa,
Lück P. Christian,
Meyer Peter,
Hacker Jörg
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1992.tb05366.x
Subject(s) - legionella pneumophila , subtyping , microbiology and biotechnology , pulsed field gel electrophoresis , biology , legionella , serotype , monoclonal antibody , virology , population , antiserum , typing , antigen , antibody , bacteria , genotype , medicine , genetics , gene , environmental health , computer science , programming language
A hospital warm water system was monitored for the presence and distribution of legionellae. Subtyping of ten selected Legionella pneumophila isolates, originating from four different sites in the system by using serogroup specific antisera in an indirect immunofluorescence test, revealed that nine of the ten isolates belonged to serogroup 6, while the remaining one was serogroup 10. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for a subgroup of serogroup 6 strains were further used for characterization. None of the strains reacted with these mAbs. Genome analysis by elaborating Not I profiles using the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique revealed that nearly all serogroup 6 isolates derived from different sites, including a new building connected by a ring pipe, were identical according to restriction fragment patterns. The patterns were distinguishable from those of the two L. pneumophila serogroup 6 reference strains, and from that of the L. pneumophila serogroup 10 isolate. These data argue for a relatively homogeneous L. pneumophila serogroup 6 population in the entire water system.