Relationship betweenLegionellaspp. and antibody titres at a therapeutic thermal spa in Portugal

Abstract

SummaryThe presence ofLegionellaspp. in the water of a Portuguese spa was ascertained during the spa season, between May and November. Simultaneously the prevalance of anti-legionella antibodies in people attending the spa was also investigated. The antibody titres of 172 randomly selected patients and 42 therapists were determined, and compared with a control group of 503 blood donors. Legionellae were present in the spa water at low concentrations, generally lower than 103c.f.u./1. A total of 92 strains representing eight different species or serogroups were isolated; the predominant isolates belonged toLegionella pneumophilaserogroup 6 and toL. londiniensis.During the study, no clinical cases of Legionnaires' disease were observed, and the antibody titres were generally low in the groups studied. However, the antibody titres of the patients increased slightly during their stay at the spa, approaching the values for the therapists. Mean antibody titres in the groups related with the spa were significantly higher than those in the blood donors against five of the seven legionella antigens tested. The largest number of elevated antibody titres in the exposed groups were to theL. pneumophilasg 5 and sg 6 antigens.