Prevalence of Legionella spp. in the water distribution systems of Northern Greece

Abstract

Legionella spp. are the etiological agent of legionnaire’s disease, a severe respiratory disease, which affects mostly the vulnerable groups of the population. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Legionella according to ISO 11731:2017 in water samples, collected from five regions of Northern Greece. The results showed that 64 (8.9%) out of the 595 collected samples were positive for Legionella. Furthermore, 23 (35.9%) and 14 (21.9%) out of the 64 isolated Legionella strains were confirmed as L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and L. pneumophila serogroup 2-15, respectively, while the remaining 27 (42.2%) isolates were characterized as non-pneumophila Legionella spp. The findings of this study offer proof that Legionella remains a significant public health concern. They will aid in enhancing our comprehension of Legionella’s epidemiology in Greece and assist in implementing efficient control measures to minimize its occurrence in water meant for human consumption.