Legionella in my water: detection, control and prevention

Prevention of building–associated Legionnaires’ disease will depend on accurate detection of Legionella and effective control methods.  Environmental culturing of water systems for Legionella is crucial for both the investigation of Legionella outbreaks and routine microbiological surveillance for Legionella. Despite its importance in prevention strategies, there is a lack of standardization of environmental monitoring techniques for Legionella spp. Recent research and real world monitoring will be discussed including quantitative reproducibility of culture, molecular methods as well as and treatment experience including efficacy of on-site generation of monochloramine.

The best approach to managing the risk of building-associated Legionnaires’ disease continues to be debated and new information challenges conventional wisdom.  The cornerstone of a successful prevention strategy is to accurately identify and assess the threat of Legionella bacteria in building hot water systems and to apply supplemental disinfection responsibly.