Molecular Detection of Legionella
 spp. and their associations with Mycobacterium
 spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa
 and amoeba hosts in a drinking water distribution system

Lu, Jingrang; Struewing, Ian; Vereen, Ethell; Kirby, Amy; Lévy, Karen; Moe, Christine L.; Ashbolt, Nicholas J.

doi:10.1111/jam.12996

Cited by 78 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…and Mycobacterium spp. gene copies measured by quantitative PCR has also been reported in a drinking water distribution system (Lu et al , 2016). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Impact of water heater temperature setting and water use frequency on the building plumbing microbiome

Rhoads

Edwards

et al. 2017

The ISME Journal

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Hot water plumbing is an important conduit of microbes into the indoor environment and can increase risk of opportunistic pathogens (for example, Legionella pneumophila). We examined the combined effects of water heater temperature (39, 42, 48, 51 and 58 °C), pipe orientation (upward/downward), and water use frequency (21, 3 and 1 flush per week) on the microbial composition at the tap using a pilot-scale pipe rig. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing indicated that bulk water and corresponding biofilm typically had distinct taxonomic compositions (R2Adonis=0.246, PAdonis=0.001), yet similar predicted functions based on PICRUSt analysis (R2Adonis=0.087, PAdonis=0.001). Although a prior study had identified 51 °C under low water use frequency to enrich Legionella at the tap, here we reveal that 51 °C is also a threshold above which there are marked effects of the combined influences of temperature, pipe orientation, and use frequency on taxonomic and functional composition. A positive association was noted between relative abundances of Legionella and mitochondrial DNA of Vermamoeba, a genus of amoebae that can enhance virulence and facilitate replication of some pathogens. This study takes a step towards intentional control of the plumbing microbiome and highlights the importance of microbial ecology in governing pathogen proliferation.

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“…and Mycobacterium spp. gene copies measured by quantitative PCR has also been reported in a drinking water distribution system (Lu et al , 2016). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Impact of water heater temperature setting and water use frequency on the building plumbing microbiome

Rhoads

Edwards

et al. 2017

The ISME Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…were present in half of the samples. The detection of a large number of eukaryotes inside drinking water systems has been reported previously (Valster et al ., ; Buse et al ., ; Lu et al ., ). These eukaryotes could enter distribution systems through physical breakthroughs in treatment processes, attaching on media particles released from filters, and contamination from surrounding environments during pipe breakage (Proctor and Hammes, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of drinking water treatment and distribution on the microbiome continuum: an ecological disturbance's perspective

Zhang

Liu

2017

Environmental Microbiology

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While microbes are known to be present at different stages of a drinking water system, their potential functions and ability to grow in such systems are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that treatment and distribution processes could be viewed as ecological disturbances exhibited over space on the microbiome continuum in a groundwater-derived system. Results from 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis and metagenomics suggested that disturbances in the system were intense as the community diversity was substantially reduced during the treatment steps. Specifically, syntrophs and methanogens dominant in raw water (RW) disappeared after water abstraction, accompanied by a substantial decrease in both the abundance and number of functional genes related to methanogenesis. The softening effluent was dominated by an Exiguobacterium-related population, likely due to its ability to use the phosphotransferase system (PTS) as regulatory machinery to control the energy conditions of the cell. After disinfection and entering the distribution system, community-level functionality remained relatively stable, whereas the community structure differed from those taken in the treatment steps. The diversity and high abundance of some eukaryotic groups in the system suggested that predation could be a disturbance to the bacterial microbiome, which could further drive the diversification of the bacterial community.

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“…Drinking water fountains were most commonly positive, and taps that were repeatedly positive were more frequently fed chlorinated water (16%) compared with chloraminated water (8.6%). Lu et al () examined large‐volume (90 L) ultrafiltration concentrates from six sites within a distribution system and frequently (57%) detected Legionella spp. by qPCR at an average concentration of 85 cell equivalents per liter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of culturableLegionella pneumophilain drinking water distribution systems

LeChevallier¹

2019

AWWA Water Science

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A prior study of 12 potable water distribution systems detected Legionella pneumophila in only one of 576 samples (0.17%), but the survey was conducted during winter and spring months when water temperatures were generally below 15 C (LeChevallier, AWWA Water Science 2019, e1122). Ten of the utilities agreed to participate in a second round of testing during the summer and early fall months when water temperatures averaged 23 C (average temperatures ranged from 14 to 29 C). L. pneumophila was enumerated using the Legiolert assay. A total of 669 samples were analyzed during the study: 50 source water samples, 46 from the plant effluent, and 573 from the distribution system. L. pneumophila was detected in two source water samples and not detected in any of the treated plant effluent samples. L. pneumophila was detected in 14 distribution system samples, 13 from free chlorinated systems and one from a chloraminated system. All occurrences of L. pneumophila were observed when water temperatures were >18 C. Concentrations of L. pneumophila were <10 most probable number/100-mL except when chlorine residuals were less than 0.1 mg/L. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that water utilities maintain at least a 0.1 mg/L chlorine residual, particularly when water temperatures are >18 C.

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Molecular Detection of Legionella spp. and their associations with Mycobacterium spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and amoeba hosts in a drinking water distribution system

Abstract: The results provide insight into microbial pathogen detection that may aid in the monitoring of microbial water quality within DWDS prior to customer exposures.

Cited by 78 publications

References 60 publications

Impact of water heater temperature setting and water use frequency on the building plumbing microbiome

Impact of water heater temperature setting and water use frequency on the building plumbing microbiome

Impact of drinking water treatment and distribution on the microbiome continuum: an ecological disturbance's perspective

Occurrence of culturableLegionella pneumophilain drinking water distribution systems

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