The Influence of Contamination of a Hospital Hot-water System with Legionella pneumophila on Serum Antibody Production by Staff Members

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Legionella pneumophila colonisation of water systems on people working in hospitals. It was undertaken as a part of risk assessment of L. pneumophila infection in hospitals. The study was based on the serological response of healthy hospital staff members to contamination of the hot-water system with L. pneumophila through comparison with the prevalence of antibodies against Legionella in blood donors’ sera. It was found that the effect of long exposure of healthy hospital staff members to Legionella was to induce a response in their immune system. Seroepidemiology should be recognised as one of the methods for evaluating the prevalence of L. pneumophila and other Legionella in our water environment.