Legionella spp. – Water
Specimen Requirements
| Test Requested | Required Requisition(s) | Specimen Type | Minimum Volume | Collection Kit |
Legionella spp.1,2 |
Water – potable (drinking water) or non-potable (e.g. whirlpools, cooling towers, etc.) |
Potable: 10 X 200 mL (to the fill line on the bottle) Non-potable Water: 10 X 200 mL (to the fill line on the bottle) |
PHOL water collection bottle kits (Cat# 300013) |
Submission and Collection Notes
This test is available for investigations and/or outbreaks with a confirmed clinical case(s) of Legionella spp.. For the ‘Confirmed Etiological Agent’, record ‘Legionella’. The laboratory must be contacted prior to submission of samples.
One litre of water will be used for PCR and one litre will be used for culture for PCR positive and indeterminate test results.
Storage and Transport
Collect the water sample in PHOL water collection bottles. Collect two litres of water. Ten standard PHOL water collection bottles filled to the fill line will satisfy this requirement. Samples should be stored at refrigeration temperature (2 to 8°C) and shipped to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Special Instructions
For sampling, follow the instructions found in Public Health Inspector’s Guide to Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Testing.
Shipping Instructions:
- Ship all water in containers with hard walls and lids secured in the closed position.
- Shipping containers must be labelled with the submitting organization, unique identifier and contents e.g. WATER SAMPLES on the outside of the container.
- DO NOT SHIP WITH CLINICAL SPECIMENS. Shipping containers used for water samples should be dedicated to water samples and not be used for other types of environmental samples.
- Submit all water samples to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)
The Legionella test is performed Monday to Friday.
PCR TAT is up to 2 business days. Culture TAT is up to 14 days.
PCR: The presence of Legionella spp. in water is determined by PCR whereby the method detects three targets specific for Legionella species, Legionella pneumophila, and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1.
Culture: The presence of Legionella spp. in water is determined by the culture method by isolation of the bacterial filtrate on selective agar plates, followed by biochemical and serological identification. Results are reported as Detected with the specific Legionella spp. or Not detected, as appropriate. (modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Method)
Interpretation
Legionella is ubiquitous to the environment – water, soil and sediment; and can grow in a wide range of temperatures.
If Legionella is isolated from an environmental sampling site in connection to an outbreak investigation and is a match to the Legionella isolated from the clinical case, remediation is required. Please contact the Environmental Microbiology section at PHO should you require additional information.
If Legionella was isolated and is not a match to the Legionella isolated from the clinical case, remediation may be required. Please contact the Environmental Microbiology section at PHO should you require additional information.
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