Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from blood with the BACTEC system: a prospective study yielding positive results

Abstract

In a prospective study of 16 patients with Legionnaires disease confirmed by cultural isolation of Legionella pneumophila from the respiratory tract, 38% (6 of 16) had positive blood cultures. Daily subcultures were made onto buffered charcoal-yeast extract plates from 6B aerobic and 7C anaerobic BACTEC blood culture bottles (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.). Isolation of L. pneumophila was achieved from both aerobic and anaerobic bottles. L. pneumophila growth indices failed to exceed the BACTEC threshold limits; thus, the organism would have been overlooked despite its presence in the blood culture bottles. Bacteremic patients had statistically significant higher quantities of L. pneumophila isolated from sputum and visualized on direct fluorescent antibody stains. Thus, the potential exists for improved diagnosis of Legionella infection by a relatively noninvasive procedure (blood culture) with an instrument already in use in many hospital laboratories.