Korean J Clin Microbiol.  2004 Mar;7(1):38-42.

Molecular Strain Typing of Legionella Isolates from Water in Cooling Towers of Big Buildings in Busan, Korea

• Kim JM
• Jeong SH
• Seo D
• Park EH
• Song EJ
• Choi JC
• Lee EY
• Chang CL

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is important to define a source of infection when outbreak of Legionella infections has occurred. The performance of a molecular strain typing method was evaluated for environmental and clinical isolates of Legionella pneumophila.
METHODS
Thirteen environmental strains, eleven clinical isolates and one type strain (ATCC 33152) of Legionella pneumophila were used for the analysis of pulsed field gel electrophoresis.
RESULTS
All 25 strains were discriminated into 21 types. Two strains isolated from different locations in a same building showed different types. Each two, four, and two strains were shown as the same PFGE patterns.
CONCLUSIONS
Even though PFGE typing of Legionella pneumophila is excellent for strain differentiation, the same pattern does not necessarily indicate the same source of isolates.

Keyword

Legionella; Pulsed field gel electrophoresis

MeSH Terms

Busan*
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Korea*
Legionella pneumophila
Legionella*
Water*
Water