What is Legionella?

Legionella is a bacteria which can cause a pneumonia-like disease called "Legionnaires' Disease". Legionnaires' Disease is fatal in approximately 15-20% of people infected. Infection occurs when the bacteria is inhaled from aerosols of contaminated water. Aerosols can be produced anywhere water is splashed or sprayed, but some of the most common sources associated with Legionnaires' Disease are cooling towers and showers.

The Legionella test detects the antigen of Legionella pneumophila serogroup1 (LpSG1). According to the latest European CDPC report (2011) LpSG1 caused 88% of all cases of Legionnaire’s disease and historically has caused all outbreaks to date.

What the experts say

"In view of its high level of accordance with the results of Q-PCR and the ISO 11731 method and given the speed and simplicity of the test, the test would appear to be a useful addition to the set of instruments available to the process operator responsible for the daily management of cooling water systems. The method's specificity makes it a useful addition to ATP measurements, colony number measurements or dip slides that are already used for monitoring water systems. The method’ speed and simplicity make it exceptionally interesting for monitoring in emergencies."

What sectors will use the Kits?

Which applications are suitable?

Our test is used in a wide variety of sectors. We have customers in almost every industrial sector, including education, food and beverage, hotels and spas, shipping, tourism and leisure, offshore oil and gas, conventional and nuclear energy, hospitals and care homes and many more.

Many of the benefits are the same for each sector, but all have their own particular advantages.

The common benefits are

• The test is on site. No need to transport samples to labs.
• The test is fast, simple to use, accurate and can be used anywhere. Effectively you carry the expertise of the lab in your pocket.
• While a positive result is bad news, it is better to know immediately so that you can take remedial action, prevent infection, protect staff and clients and, consequently, your reputation and business.
• Imagine if your system was infected and you did not know. Without a rapid test, your uncertainty will continue for 10-14 days waiting for laboratory results. During this time you may continue to expose your staff/public or have to shutdown facilities to prevent exposure.
• Once you have taken remedial action you can use the test to check the impact. will let you know in 25 minutes if there is still a problem.
• Effective remedial action should completely remove all traces of bacteria from your system within 24 hours - giving a negative test result on the test.
• By detecting antigen, rather than relying on culturable cells the test gives a better warning of Legionella growth within a system. Motile Legionella are not in a culturable state.