Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e della Vita, University of Piemonte Orientale A. Avogadro, Alessandria, Italy.
J Appl Microbiol. 2010 May;108(5):1576-83. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04553.x. Epub 2009 Sep 11.
This study was designed to define the extent of water contamination by Legionella pneumophila of certain Italian hotels and to compare quantitative real-time PCR with the conventional culture method.
Nineteen Italian hotels of different sizes were investigated. In each hotel three hot water samples (boiler, room showers, recycling) and one cold water sample (inlet) were collected. Physico-chemical parameters were also analysed. Legionella pneumophila was detected in 42% and 74% of the hotels investigated by the culture method and by real-time PCR, respectively. In 21% of samples analysed by the culture method, a concentration of >10(4) CFU l(-1) was found, and Leg. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 10.5% of the hotels. The presence of Leg. pneumophila was significantly influenced by water sample temperature, while no association with water hardness or residual-free chlorine was found.
This study showed a high percentage of buildings colonized by Leg. pneumophila. Moreover, real-time PCR proved to be sensitive enough to detect lower levels of contamination than the culture method.
This study indicates that the Italian hotels represent a possible source of risk for Legionnaires' disease and confirms the sensitivity of the molecular method. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate Legionella contamination in Italian hotels using real-time PCR and culture methods.
本研究旨在确定意大利某些酒店中嗜肺军团菌对水的污染程度，并比较定量实时 PCR 与传统培养方法。
对 19 家不同规模的意大利酒店进行了调查。在每家酒店采集三个热水样本（锅炉、客房淋浴、循环）和一个冷水样本（入口）。还分析了理化参数。通过培养法和实时 PCR 分别检测到 42%和 74%的酒店存在嗜肺军团菌。在通过培养法分析的 21%的样本中，发现浓度>10(4) CFU l(-1)，并且从 10.5%的酒店分离到了嗜肺军团菌血清群 1。军团菌的存在与水样温度显著相关，而与水硬度或游离余氯无关。
本研究表明，有很高比例的建筑物被嗜肺军团菌定植。此外，实时 PCR 比培养法更灵敏，能够检测到更低水平的污染。
本研究表明意大利酒店可能是军团病的一个潜在风险源，并证实了分子方法的敏感性。据我们所知，这是首次使用实时 PCR 和培养方法报告意大利酒店中军团菌的污染情况。
