Legionella

Legionella can be found colonizing cooling towers and water systems. Once in a building's water system, the bacteria can attach and colonize materials such as plastics, rubber, wood, organic sediments and scale. Legionella attach to these surfaces and form a protective layer called a biofilm, making them harder to eliminate with chemicals or superheating.

Laboratory Identification consists of:

Sample filtration to concentrate the bacteria, plating on Legionella selective media, and serotyping to determine the Legionella species. With frequent testing of water systems, clients will be able to monitor and manage the risk to prevent future outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease.