Detection of Legionella pneumophila in the Water Samples of Food Industries and Hospitals in Bangladesh

Nazmun Naher¹, Sangita Ahmed^1*, and Md. Latiful Bari²

PCR-based rapid detection of slow-growing Legionella pneumophila

Abstract

Background: The human pathogen Legionella pneumophila causes a serious pneumonia-like respiratory disease called Legionnaires' disease, mainly in elderly and immunocompromised individuals. This pathogen can be found in the water distribution systems of large constructions with cooling towers which is a common phenomenon at present in Bangladesh due to its rapid economic growth. But there is a dearth of information on the incidence of Legionella in Bangladesh. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the presence of Legionella pneumophila in hospital and industrial water distribution systems in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods:  A total of 114 water samples collected from two hospitals and five food industries were inoculated on the Legionella-specific medium Buffer Charcoal Yeast Extract (BCYE) agar medium before and after the treatment with acid, heat, or a combination of both. Samples producing Legionella-like colonies on BCYE agar medium were screened by Legionella Latex Test Kit, and the metagenomic DNAs obtained from these samples were analyzed by PCR using L. pneumophila-specific 16S rRNA primers. Results: Among 114 samples, Legionella-like colonies were observed in 30 water samples which demonstrated no agglutination in the Latex agglutination test. PCR analysis showed the presence of L. pneumophila in seven water samples, four in the potable water, chiller water, and cooling tower water of two different food industries, and three in ICU tap water, cooling tower water, and Fan Coil Units of two different hospitals. Sequence analysis of amplicons revealed that all seven sequences had 100% similarity with L. pneumophila. Conclusion: The presence of L. pneumophila in the water samples of local hospitals and food industries indicates that these habitats might serve as a potential site for Legionnaires' infection in Bangladesh. The results also showed that PCR, contrary to the conventional culture methods, could be more efficient and rapid in the identification of L. pneumophila.

Keywords: Legionnaires' disease; Water distribution system; Legionella pneumophila; PCR-based detection.

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