Presentation by Sébastien P. Faucher PhD of McGill University
Legiolert is a promising technology to detect _Legionella pneumophila_ in water system. This system provides most probable numbers based on liquid culturing and enzymatic detection. Previous studies have shown good agreement between Legiolert and standard culture technique; however, it is unknown if the system can detect diverse sequence-based types (ST) and subspecies. By isolating and typing colonies directly from the Legiolert medium, we confirmed that this technique can detect a variety of STs, including ST1, ST378, ST1427, ST2859, ST3054, and ST3069, and all currently known _L. pneumophila_ subspecies (Pneumophila, Fraseri, Pascuelli and Raphaeli). Further, we developed a procedure to easily preserve Legiolert culture by simply adding glycerol to a final concentration of 10% and storing at or less than -20°C. This could facilitate retrospective analysis of _L. pneumophila_ positive samples for epidemiological investigation of outbreaks. In conclusion, Legiolert seems well suited for routine surveillance of _L. pneumophila_ in water systems.
