Ricerc@Sapienza

Legionella e legionellosi sono termini che, per i profani della materia,
richiamano problematiche e malattie, seppur molto gravi, comunque
lontane nel tempo e nello spazio.
L’immaginario comune le lega ai “Legionari”, e quindi a persone
che viaggiano in paesi lontani e in condizioni di vita difficili.
Quando invece si approfondisce l’argomento si scopre che Legionella
è un batterio ampiamente diffuso in natura negli ambienti acquatici
compresi, quindi, le reti cittadine di distribuzione dell’acqua potabile,

Legionella spp. is a ubiquitous intracellular microorganism in aquatic environments both natural and artificial. Although Legionella pneumophila sg 1 and sg 6 are the main causes of disease, other species have recently been associated with cases of legionellosis. Since 2000, some international documents related to the control and prevention of Legionnaires’ disease have been issued, providing different environmental matrices’ sampling, but not for air. To date, the control on water mains is preferred; however, air sampling could be a useful tool for exposure evaluation.

Legionella is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, a flu-like illness normally acquired following inhalation or aspiration of contaminated water aerosols. Our recent studies revealed that climatic parameters can increase the number of reported cases of community-acquired Legionnaires' disease. Here, we evaluated the presence of Legionella in water networks and the distribution of Legionnaires' disease cases associated with touristic-recreational facilities in the Apulia region (southern Italy) during the period 2001-2017 using geostatistical and climatic analyses.

Background. Nosocomial water systems may be contaminated by Legionella spp; therefore, health care facilities represent a potential health risk for patients and health care staff. Active, well-planned clinical and environmental surveillance in hospitals is the most important instrument of prevention. Aim and Methods. The aim of the present article was to outline the state of the art in legionellosis control and prevention among Italian health care facilities by reporting some experiences in the field. Results. Our results showed that Legionella spp.

Legionellae are opportunistic bacteria that cause various conditions after exposure to contaminated aerosols, ranging from a serious type of pneumonia to a mild case of an influenza-like illness. Despite the risks of exposure, little is known about the occurrence of Legionella in natural environments and, even though studies have shown that there is a potential risk of transmission via inhalation, it does not have to be detected in groundwater that is used for irrigation.