Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan
Objective: The feasibility of the decontamination procedure for Legionella pneumophila of water systems in healthcare facilities varies by water purification and disinfection methods in each country. We evaluated the efficacy of feasible decontamination strategies in Japan. Methods: This study was c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971220301211 |
| _version_ | 1819000466854379520 |
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| author | Itaru Nakamura Junko Amemura-Maekawa Fumiaki Kura Takehito Kobayashi Akihiro Sato Hidehiro Watanabe Tetsuya Matsumoto |
| author_facet | Itaru Nakamura Junko Amemura-Maekawa Fumiaki Kura Takehito Kobayashi Akihiro Sato Hidehiro Watanabe Tetsuya Matsumoto |
| author_sort | Itaru Nakamura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: The feasibility of the decontamination procedure for Legionella pneumophila of water systems in healthcare facilities varies by water purification and disinfection methods in each country. We evaluated the efficacy of feasible decontamination strategies in Japan. Methods: This study was conducted at Tokyo Medical University Hospital (1015 beds) between 2015 and 2018. Samples from the water system and cooling tower were cultured periodically. Hyper-chlorination of cool tap water (>0.2 ppm), increases in the temperature of hot water (>55 °C), and flushing were used as decontamination strategies. The case of healthcare-associated legionellosis was surveyed. Environmental and clinical isolates were genotyped. Results: 1439 environmental samples were collected; 19 (1.3%) samples tested positive for L. pneumophila from water faucets of patient rooms, toilets, waste rooms, and water sourced from wells. Genotyping of 12 isolates confirmed that the same strains were present in eight environmental isolates and two isolates from patients over three years. Although the environmental contamination of the water system was persistent, the number of positive locations of hospital environments gradually decreased; eight in 2015, four in 2016, three in 2017, and four in 2018, respectively. Conclusions: Monitoring contamination, hyper-chlorination, controlling temperature, and flushing were effective as a Legionella decontamination strategy. Keywords: Tap water, Legionellosis, Legionnaires’ disease, Infection control, Disinfectant, Decontamination |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T22:33:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-903953ef5e6248bdb9ac4af29a04181f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1201-9712 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T22:33:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-903953ef5e6248bdb9ac4af29a04181f2022-12-21T19:24:40ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases1201-97122020-04-0193300304Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in JapanItaru Nakamura0Junko Amemura-Maekawa1Fumiaki Kura2Takehito Kobayashi3Akihiro Sato4Hidehiro Watanabe5Tetsuya Matsumoto6Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan; Corresponding author.Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, JapanDepartment of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan; Division of Biosafety Control and Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, JapanDepartment of Infection Prevention and Control, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, JapanDepartment of Infection Prevention and Control, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, JapanDepartment of Infection Prevention and Control, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, JapanDepartment of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Narita, 4-3, Kouzunomori, Narita-shi, Chiba, 162-8640, JapanObjective: The feasibility of the decontamination procedure for Legionella pneumophila of water systems in healthcare facilities varies by water purification and disinfection methods in each country. We evaluated the efficacy of feasible decontamination strategies in Japan. Methods: This study was conducted at Tokyo Medical University Hospital (1015 beds) between 2015 and 2018. Samples from the water system and cooling tower were cultured periodically. Hyper-chlorination of cool tap water (>0.2 ppm), increases in the temperature of hot water (>55 °C), and flushing were used as decontamination strategies. The case of healthcare-associated legionellosis was surveyed. Environmental and clinical isolates were genotyped. Results: 1439 environmental samples were collected; 19 (1.3%) samples tested positive for L. pneumophila from water faucets of patient rooms, toilets, waste rooms, and water sourced from wells. Genotyping of 12 isolates confirmed that the same strains were present in eight environmental isolates and two isolates from patients over three years. Although the environmental contamination of the water system was persistent, the number of positive locations of hospital environments gradually decreased; eight in 2015, four in 2016, three in 2017, and four in 2018, respectively. Conclusions: Monitoring contamination, hyper-chlorination, controlling temperature, and flushing were effective as a Legionella decontamination strategy. Keywords: Tap water, Legionellosis, Legionnaires’ disease, Infection control, Disinfectant, Decontaminationhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971220301211 |
| spellingShingle | Itaru Nakamura Junko Amemura-Maekawa Fumiaki Kura Takehito Kobayashi Akihiro Sato Hidehiro Watanabe Tetsuya Matsumoto Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| title | Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan |
| title_full | Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan |
| title_fullStr | Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan |
| title_short | Persistent Legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in Japan |
| title_sort | persistent legionella contamination of water faucets in a tertiary hospital in japan |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971220301211 |
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