Legionella News and Research

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DNA test method can help quickly prevent Legionnaires' outbreak

A DNA test method called polymerase chain reaction allowed New York City health officials to identify the source of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak within hours of specimen collection and should be considered in all Legionnaires' outbreak investigations, researchers say in the April issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

10 Apr 2018

Rubber ducks can be full of nasty bugs at bath time

Researchers have found that the cute little rubber ducks that float around in bath tubs and come in contact with potable water are homes to millions of bacteria and harmful microbes. They found that these toys contain water that’s seeped into them and when squeezed, they release this dirty water into the bath water. The water is rich in microbes that could be potentially “pathogenic” or disease causing especially among children, they write.

28 Mar 2018

Foil-based measuring chip rapidly detects Legionella

In an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, finding the exact source as quickly as possible is essential to preventing further infections. To date, a standard analysis takes days. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have now developed a rapid test that achieves the same result in about 35 minutes.

23 Mar 2018

CSU researchers find cause of Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Flint

An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in 2014-15 in Flint, Michigan, was likely caused by a change in the city's drinking water supply, according to a study led by Colorado State University researchers.

6 Feb 2018

Biologists resolve immune protein structure to provide insight into pathogen-defense strategies

Biologists have resolved the structure of a ring of proteins used by the immune system to summon support when under attack, providing new insight into potential strategies for protection from pathogens.

17 Nov 2017

Research reveals fundamental process used by immune system to recognize invading pathogens

The body's homeland security unit is more thorough than any airport checkpoint. For the first time, scientists have witnessed a mouse immune system protein frisking a snippet of an invading bacterium. The inspection is far more extensive than researchers imagined: the immune system protein, similar to those in humans, scans the bacterial protein in six different ways, ensuring correct identification.

16 Nov 2017

Waterborne disease outbreaks can be traced to plumbing systems in buildings

Traditional water treatment efforts have focused on water leaving the treatment plant, but a large number of recent waterborne disease outbreaks in the U.S. can be traced to plumbing systems in buildings.

9 Nov 2017

Using biologics during pregnancy may not raise infant's risk for opportunistic infections

Using a biologic therapy to manage rheumatoid arthritis may not significantly increase an infant's risk for developing opportunistic infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and tuberculosis, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.

6 Nov 2017

Study sheds light on virulence strategy of intracellular bacteria that cause legionellosis

Intracellular pathogens adopt various strategies to circumvent the defences of the host cell and to proliferate intracellularly. One specific strategy is to target host organelles like the mitochondria. Mitochondria are well-defined cytoplasmic organelles, which take part in a variety of cellular metabolic functions.

7 Sep 2017

New water safety program streamlines processes to help healthcare providers reduce Legionella risk

Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, has introduced a comprehensive water safety program to help hospitals and long-term care facilities meet new requirements to reduce Legionella risk.

9 Aug 2017

Case of Legionnaires’ disease in the city sparks alerts

A New York Police Department officer has contracted Legionnaires’ disease leading to a spate of investigations by the health officials as to its source and potential capacity for spread. The officer however is at present on their way to recovery at a hospital located outside the city said health officials. Legionnaire’s disease is a form of pneumonia that can become life threatening.

11 Jun 2017

Study reveals potential new therapeutic approach to tackle infection by Legionella bacteria

The precise mechanism used by Legionella bacteria to escape the body's defences has been unpicked in intricate detail and is described for the first time in the journal eLife.

11 Apr 2017

Dutch scientists discover favorable conditions for growth of Legionella bacteria

The bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease grow well in warm tap water installations with ample dissolved organic matter--conditions that support the growth of biofilms. The research is published January 6th in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

6 Jan 2017

New biophotonic light sensor can detect Legionella bacteria in minutes

Outbreaks of Legionnaire’s Disease, a respiratory infection that can cause pneumonia, and in severe cases organ failure or septic shock, are more common than we might think. With anyone being susceptible, more than 100 cases are reported each week both in America and in Europe, with a fatality rate of around 10%.

10 Nov 2016

FDA approves expanded use of systemic therapy for treating chronic moderate-to-severe pediatric psoriasis

Amgen today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the supplemental Biologics License Application for the expanded use of ENBREL (etanercept), making it the first and only systemic therapy to treat pediatric patients (ages 4-17) with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

7 Nov 2016

Novel Legionella bacteria named by Clemson undergraduates

The Clemson family has gained a new namesake: Legionella clemsonensis, a novel strain of the Legionella bacteria, the most common cause of waterborne bacterial outbreaks in the United States.

21 Oct 2016

Study shows increasing healthcare costs for infections linked to premise plumbing pathogens

A new analysis of 100 million Medicare records from U.S. adults aged 65 and older reveals rising healthcare costs for infections associated with opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens--disease-causing bacteria, such as Legionella--which can live inside drinking water distribution systems, including household and hospital water pipes.

12 Sep 2016

Scientists discover new biological defense system against pathogenic microorganisms

For the first time in the world, a group of researchers discovered a human immune receptor, which detects the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms.

13 Jul 2016

Legions of immune cells play complex role to destroy Legionella bacteria

Immunologists and microbiologists from the University of Melbourne's Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital - have led a study that defined a new cell type responsible for turning the attack back on the bacteria.

17 Jun 2016

Single enzyme doing the work of a trio could offer precise way to treat diseases

Researchers identified a single enzyme doing the work of a trio thought necessary to control a common cellular signaling process being pursued as a therapeutic target.

24 May 2016