Environmental Legionella Assessment in Office Buildings Of Continental United States

Hung, Ling-Ling; Copperthite, Denise C.; Yang, Chin S.; Lewis, Franklin; Zampiello, Francis A.

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.1993.00019.x

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the absence of evidence of person-to-person transmission, it was hypothesized that the infective agent originated from the environment ( Fraser et al 1977 ). Since that first report, outbreaks of L. pneumophila disease have been linked to water sources in hospitals, hotels, cruise ships, industrial facilities, and multiple and single family residences ( Arnow et al 1985 ; Borella et al 2005 ; Hung et al 1993 ; Kusnetsov et al 2003 ; O’Loughlin et al 2007 ; Polverino et al 2010 ). The British Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre reported that 19 of 20 hospital outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1992 were primarily attributed to hospital water systems ( Joseph et al 1994 ).…”

Section: Legionella Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology and Ecology of Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila , Mycobacterium avium , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Falkinham

Hilborn

Arduino

et al. 2015

Environ Health Perspect

223

187

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundLegionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) that persist and grow in household plumbing, habitats they share with humans. Infections caused by these OPPPs involve individuals with preexisting risk factors and frequently require hospitalization.ObjectivesThe objectives of this report are to alert professionals of the impact of OPPPs, the fact that 30% of the population may be exposed to OPPPs, and the need to develop means to reduce OPPP exposure. We herein present a review of the epidemiology and ecology of these three bacterial OPPPs, specifically to identify common and unique features.MethodsA Water Research Foundation–sponsored workshop gathered experts from across the United States to review the characteristics of OPPPs, identify problems, and develop a list of research priorities to address critical knowledge gaps with respect to increasing OPPP-associated disease.DiscussionOPPPs share the common characteristics of disinfectant resistance and growth in biofilms in water distribution systems or premise plumbing. Thus, they share a number of habitats with humans (e.g., showers) that can lead to exposure and infection. The frequency of OPPP-infected individuals is rising and will likely continue to rise as the number of at-risk individuals is increasing. Improved reporting of OPPP disease and increased understanding of the genetic, physiologic, and structural characteristics governing the persistence and growth of OPPPs in drinking water distribution systems and premise plumbing is needed.ConclusionsBecause broadly effective community-level engineering interventions for the control of OPPPs have yet to be identified, and because the number of at-risk individuals will continue to rise, it is likely that OPPP-related infections will continue to increase. However, it is possible that individuals can take measures (e.g., raise hot water heater temperatures and filter water) to reduce home exposures.CitationFalkinham JO III, Hilborn ED, Arduino MJ, Pruden A, Edwards MA. 2015. Epidemiology and ecology of opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens: Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Environ Health Perspect 123:749–758; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408692

show abstract

Section: Legionella Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology and Ecology of Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila , Mycobacterium avium , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Falkinham

Hilborn

Arduino

et al. 2015

Environ Health Perspect

223

187

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This type of contamination causes respiratory diseases such as Legionnaires' disease and may result in casualties [7][8][9]. Legionella bacteria were observed in a dehumidification system by using a lithium chloride solution, according to a principle similar to that of a direct evaporative cooling system [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of an Ultraviolet Reactor on the Improvement of Air Quality Leaving a Direct Evaporative Cooler

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this study is to improve microbial air quality by improving water quality, particularly concerning microbiological aspects, by applying an ultraviolet water purifier system to a direct evaporative cooling (DEC) system. A direct evaporative cooler is an air cooling technique that uses the evaporation of water. Most DECs recirculate water to reduce water use. Evaporative cooling pads and water are biologically contaminated by recirculating water. This contamination can develop into air contamination and cause respiratory illnesses in occupants. It is necessary to use sterilized water in a DEC to prevent respiratory diseases and maintain air quality. In this study, we examine whether improvements in water quality in a DEC affect air quality by dividing experiments into a control group (Control) and a treated group (UV-treated). In the control group, the degree of contamination was measured when a DEC operated for four weeks without ultraviolet water treatment. In UV-treated, the degree of contamination was measured when UV water treatment was applied to a DEC for four weeks. In both Control and UV-treated, microbes were sampled from the water, the evaporative cooling pad surface, and the DEC inlet and outlet air samples in order to compare the levels of contamination. The surface was measured once at four points, and the air was measured four times at two points. A comparison of the two experiments indicated that the degree of microbial contamination of water and air was significantly reduced in the UV-treated group when compared to that in the control group. When the pollution degree of the evaporative cooling pad was compared to the degree of air pollution, it was difficult to obtain a correlation between the two factors, although the results confirmed that the contamination of the evaporative cooling pad caused water pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to operate a water treatment system to maintain the clean air in DECs.

show abstract

“…Surveys have shown that large buildings are often colonized by Legionella [11][12][13]. Information is needed to establish the relative risk for LD in large buildings, such as apartment buildings, dormitories, and hotels, that mainly house immunocompetent individuals.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

LegionellaSurveillance: Political and Social Implications—A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

2002

J INFECT DIS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental Legionella Assessment in Office Buildings Of Continental United States

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Epidemiology and Ecology of Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila , Mycobacterium avium , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Epidemiology and Ecology of Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila , Mycobacterium avium , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Impact of an Ultraviolet Reactor on the Improvement of Air Quality Leaving a Direct Evaporative Cooler

LegionellaSurveillance: Political and Social Implications—A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About