<it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Legionnaires' disease continues to be a public health concern in passenger ships. This study was scheduled in order to investigate <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization of water distribution systems (WDS), recreation...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2008-11-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/8/390 |
| _version_ | 1811252379102740480 |
|---|---|
| author | Gourgoulianis Kostantinos Kavagias Antonios Stathakis Nikolaos E Karanika Maria Mouchtouri Varvara A Goutziana Georgia Kremastinou Jenny Hadjichristodoulou Christos |
| author_facet | Gourgoulianis Kostantinos Kavagias Antonios Stathakis Nikolaos E Karanika Maria Mouchtouri Varvara A Goutziana Georgia Kremastinou Jenny Hadjichristodoulou Christos |
| author_sort | Gourgoulianis Kostantinos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Legionnaires' disease continues to be a public health concern in passenger ships. This study was scheduled in order to investigate <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization of water distribution systems (WDS), recreational pools, and air-conditioning systems on board ferries and cruise ships in an attempt to identify risk factors for <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization associated with ship water systems and water characteristics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Water systems of 21 ferries and 10 cruise ships including WDS, air conditioning systems and pools were investigated for the presence of <it>Legionella </it>spp.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 133 samples collected from the 10 cruise ships WDS, air conditioning systems and pools were negative for <it>Legionella </it>spp. Of the 21 ferries WDS examined, 14 (66.7%) were legionellae-positive. A total of 276 samples were collected from WDS and air conditioning systems. <it>Legionella </it>spp. was isolated from 37.8% of the hot water samples and 17.5% of the cold water samples. Of the total 96 positive isolates, 87 (90.6%) were <it>L. pneumophila</it>. <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization was positively associated with ship age. The temperature of the hot water samples was negatively associated with colonization of <it>L. pneumophila </it>serogroup (sg) 1 and that of <it>L. pneumophila </it>sg 2 to 14. Increases in pH ≥7.8 and total plate count ≥400 CFU/L, correlated positively with the counts of <it>L. pneumophila </it>sg 2 to 14 and <it>Legionella </it>spp. respectively. Free chlorine of ≥0.2 mg/L inhibited colonization of <it>Legionella </it>spp.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>WDS of ferries can be heavily colonized by <it>Legionella </it>spp. and may present a risk of Legionnaires' disease for passengers and crew members. Guidelines and advising of Legionnaires' disease prevention regarding ferries are needed, in particular for operators and crew members.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:34:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70c4138e978a42e9b84cf7c72c388dfc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:34:39Z |
| publishDate | 2008-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-70c4138e978a42e9b84cf7c72c388dfc2022-12-22T03:25:02ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582008-11-018139010.1186/1471-2458-8-390<it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferriesGourgoulianis KostantinosKavagias AntoniosStathakis Nikolaos EKaranika MariaMouchtouri Varvara AGoutziana GeorgiaKremastinou JennyHadjichristodoulou Christos<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Legionnaires' disease continues to be a public health concern in passenger ships. This study was scheduled in order to investigate <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization of water distribution systems (WDS), recreational pools, and air-conditioning systems on board ferries and cruise ships in an attempt to identify risk factors for <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization associated with ship water systems and water characteristics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Water systems of 21 ferries and 10 cruise ships including WDS, air conditioning systems and pools were investigated for the presence of <it>Legionella </it>spp.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 133 samples collected from the 10 cruise ships WDS, air conditioning systems and pools were negative for <it>Legionella </it>spp. Of the 21 ferries WDS examined, 14 (66.7%) were legionellae-positive. A total of 276 samples were collected from WDS and air conditioning systems. <it>Legionella </it>spp. was isolated from 37.8% of the hot water samples and 17.5% of the cold water samples. Of the total 96 positive isolates, 87 (90.6%) were <it>L. pneumophila</it>. <it>Legionella </it>spp. colonization was positively associated with ship age. The temperature of the hot water samples was negatively associated with colonization of <it>L. pneumophila </it>serogroup (sg) 1 and that of <it>L. pneumophila </it>sg 2 to 14. Increases in pH ≥7.8 and total plate count ≥400 CFU/L, correlated positively with the counts of <it>L. pneumophila </it>sg 2 to 14 and <it>Legionella </it>spp. respectively. Free chlorine of ≥0.2 mg/L inhibited colonization of <it>Legionella </it>spp.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>WDS of ferries can be heavily colonized by <it>Legionella </it>spp. and may present a risk of Legionnaires' disease for passengers and crew members. Guidelines and advising of Legionnaires' disease prevention regarding ferries are needed, in particular for operators and crew members.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/8/390 |
| spellingShingle | Gourgoulianis Kostantinos Kavagias Antonios Stathakis Nikolaos E Karanika Maria Mouchtouri Varvara A Goutziana Georgia Kremastinou Jenny Hadjichristodoulou Christos <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries BMC Public Health |
| title | <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| title_full | <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| title_fullStr | <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| title_full_unstemmed | <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| title_short | <it>Legionella </it>species colonization of water distribution systems, pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| title_sort | it legionella it species colonization of water distribution systems pools and air conditioning systems in cruise ships and ferries |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/8/390 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gourgoulianiskostantinos itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT kavagiasantonios itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT stathakisnikolaose itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT karanikamaria itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT mouchtourivarvaraa itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT goutzianageorgia itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT kremastinoujenny itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries AT hadjichristodoulouchristos itlegionellaitspeciescolonizationofwaterdistributionsystemspoolsandairconditioningsystemsincruiseshipsandferries |