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Legionella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that can be seen using a silver stain or grown in a special media that contains cysteine, an amino acid.It is known to cause legionellosis [3] (all illnesses caused by Legionella) including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mild flu-like illness called Pontiac fever. [3]
Legionella pneumophila, the primary causative agent for Legionnaire's disease, is an aerobic, pleomorphic, flagellated, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] L. pneumophila is a intracellular parasite that preferentially infects soil amoebae and freshwater protozoa for replication.
Legionella spp. enter the lungs either by aspiration of contaminated water or inhalation of aerosolized contaminated water or soil. In the lung, the bacteria are consumed by macrophages , a type of white blood cell , inside of which the Legionella bacteria multiply, causing the death of the macrophage.
The legionella bacteria responsible for the disease lives and multiplies in water areas like hot tubs, air conditioners, mist sprayers in grocery store produce departments, and water systems.
Almost all natural water sources contain Legionella and their presence should not be taken as an indication of a problem. The tabled figures are for total aerobic plate count, cfu/ml at 30 °C (minimum 48 hours incubation) with colony count determined by the pour plate method according to ISO 6222(21) or spread plate method on yeast extract agar.
An illness that has stricken 11 people in Argentina, killing four, may have been the result of Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease,
Legionella is considered to be pathogenic in humans and is one of the leading outbreaks found in constructed water systems. Because the biofilms are the source, countless outbreaks that originated from water systems and the ability of a species to form biofilms both can contribute to L. clemonensis’s pathogenicity. [7]
Legionella bacteria is spread through the air when an individual breathes in a mist that contains the bacteria. Some water samples at the Peregrine Senior Living Facility tested positive for ...