A Proactive Environmental Approach for Preventing Legionellosis in Infants: Water Sampling and Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring, a 3-Years Survey Program.

A proactive environmental monitoring program was conducted to determine the risk and prevent nosocomial waterborne infections of spp. in infants. Sink taps in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and two obstetric clinics were monitored for spp. A total of 59 water samples were collected during a 3-year period and 20 of them were found colonized with . Standard culture, molecular, and latex agglutination methods were used for the detection and identification of bacteria. Hospital personnel also proceeded with remedial actions (hyperchlorination and thermal shock treatment) in the event of colonization. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of erythromycin, ciprofloxacin was determined for isolates using the e-test method. Our data indicate that the majority of neonatal sink-taps were colonized at least once during the study with spp. Among 20 isolates, 5 were considered as low-level resistant, 3 in erythromycin and 2 in ciprofloxacin, while no resistant strains were detected. Environmental surveillance in neonatal and obstetric units is suggested to prevent waterborne infections, and thus to reduce the risk of neonatal nosocomial infections.