Procedures for Collecting and Processing Environmental Specimens for Legionella spp.
- Collect water (1-liter samples, if possible) in sterile, screw-top bottles.
- Collect culture swabs of internal surfaces of faucets, aerators, and shower heads in a sterile, screw-top container (e.g., 50 mL plastic centrifuge tube). Submerge each swab in approximately 5 mL of sample water taken from the same device from which the sample was obtained.
- Transport samples and process in a laboratory proficient at culturing water specimens for Legionella spp., as soon as possible after collection.[1]
- Test samples for the presence of Legionella spp. by using semiselective culture media using procedures specific to the cultivation and detection of Legionella spp.[2]
Footnotes
References
- Barbaree JM, Gorman GW, Martin, WT, Fields, BS, Morrill WE. Protocol for sampling environmental sites for legionellae[922 KB, 5 pages]. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987;53:1454-8.
- CDC. Procedures for the recovery of Legionella from the environment. Atlanta GA : US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. 1992;1-13.
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