Legionella News and Research

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Researchers develop a low-cost automated rapid test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

During the continued progression of the Corona pandemic, rapid, inexpensive, and reliable tests will become increasingly important to determine whether people have the associated antibodies - either through infection or vaccination.

24 Jun 2021

Key protein helps bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease to set up house in host cells

Scientists at UT Southwestern have discovered a key protein that helps the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease to set up house in the cells of humans and other hosts.

10 May 2021

Annual Legionella Conference to address major health crisis

A virtual special session of the annual Legionella Conference co-hosted by NSF Health Sciences and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will focus on disease prevention from waterborne pathogens during a public health crisis.

10 Dec 2020

Pitt researchers receive $330,000 to examine the effect of silver-coated fixtures on water disinfection

As workplaces prepare to reopen, precautionary measures like plexiglass barriers and sanitizer stations have been put in place to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

7 Jul 2020

Legionella Conference 2020 focuses on prevention of health care-associated waterborne diseases

Discussions at Legionella Conference 2020: Prevention of Disease and Injury From Waterborne Pathogens in Health Care will focus on hazards related to medical devices, cleaning and disinfection in sterile settings and water quality requirements in hospitals and health care facilities.

14 Feb 2020

Melbourne researchers find how MAIT cells identify and attack foreign invaders

Melbourne researchers have identified what makes a specialized immune cell, known as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT), cells boost their numbers and attack foreign invaders at the site of the infection.

15 Nov 2019

Record number of Legionnaires’ cases in 2018 risk lives, cause cleanup headaches

Cases of Legionnaires' disease reached a record high in 2018 — a more than eight-fold increase since the numbers began to climb nearly two decades ago.

5 Nov 2019

Discovery of molecular mechanism behind spread of leishmania infection

Researchers from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) have made a breakthrough in understanding the reason behind the virulence of leishmania parasite. The leishmania parasite is responsible for causing leishmaniasis which affects over 12 million people across the globe and is a chronic parasitic disease.

14 Aug 2019

Researchers make scientific breakthrough regarding Leishmania virulence strategy

A team from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique has made a scientific breakthrough regarding the virulence strategy employed by the Leishmania parasite to infect cells of the immune system.

12 Aug 2019

Scientists find surprising insight into Legionnaires’ disease

The incidence of Legionnaires' disease has increased in the past two decades. The natural habitat of Legionella is freshwater biotopes, where they mainly reproduce in amoebae.

24 Jul 2019

Researchers identify toxin responsible for Legionella growth

A team of scientists led by EMBL group leader Sagar Bhogaraju and Ivan Dikic of Goethe University, Frankfurt, discovered that the toxin SidJ in Legionella bacteria enforces a unique modification on human proteins and helps legionella grow inside human cells.

22 Jul 2019

Study finds triple the number of Legionnaire's cases than previously reported

The first New Zealand-wide study of the burden of Legionnaire's disease has found triple the number of cases of this form of pneumonia than previously reported.

11 Jun 2019

Research identifies new target that may help develop new treatments for common STD

Research led by Ashok Aiyar, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a target that may lead to the development of new treatments for the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US.

31 May 2019

Environmental restoration can promote 'good' bacteria over 'bad'

A new study has shown that restoring environments to include a wider range of species can promote 'good' bacteria over 'bad' - with potential benefits for human health.

22 May 2019

Sophisticated molecular machinery is used by dangerous pathogens to infect hosts

Gastric cancer, Q fever, Legionnaires' disease, whooping cough--though the infectious bacteria that cause these dangerous diseases are each different, they all utilize the same molecular machinery to infect human cells.

20 May 2019

New study examines presence of microbes in tap water from residences, office buildings

Water is a source of concern for disseminating the bacteria Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium, which cause lung disease (legionellosis and pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterium disease, respectively).

21 Mar 2019

Researchers examine how spray from showers and toilets expose us to disease causing bacteria

"Don't drink the water" might be good enough advice to keep you from getting sick in some places, but according to researchers from Arizona State and Drexel University, the admonition should probably be expanded to "...try not to breathe the water either."

17 Jan 2019

Quidel receives CE mark to use Sofia 2 Lyme+ Fluorescent Immunoassay with Sofia 2 analyzer

Quidel Corporation, a provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, cellular-based virology assays and molecular diagnostic systems, announced today that it has received CE Mark to market Quidel's Sofia 2 Lyme+ FIA to be used with the Sofia 2 Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer for the rapid differential detection of human IgM and IgG antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii from serum and plasma specimens.

19 Dec 2018

Nalco Water's molecular-based test for Legionella provides much faster results than current methods

Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, has introduced a molecular-based test for Legionella that provides results 14-times faster than current culture testing methods to help building and cooling tower operators manage public health risks from the waterborne pathogen.

2 Aug 2018

Scientists report new strategy for fighting bacteria

Antimicrobial resistance is a major medical problem worldwide, impacting both human health and economic well-being.

24 May 2018