Preliminary Data on Legionella Detection in Water Distribution Systems in Cameroon

After the declaration of the first case of Legionnaire＇s disease in Cameroon in 2007, the Centre Pasteur of Cameroon implemented the detection method for Legionella. The introduction of this new method was put in places in order to investigate Legionella spp. colonization of water distribution systems （WDS） of large buildings including hospitals, hotels and Off Shore Exploitations Sites （OSES） in an attempt to identify risk factors for Legionella spp. Water systems of 6 hotels, 6 hospitals and 6 ships were investigated for the presence of Legionella spp.. A total of 130 samples were collected, 77 from hotels, 27 from hospitals and 26 from ships. 51 Legionella spp. were isolated from 41 （31.54%） water samples. Of a total of 51 positive isolates, 40/51 （78.4%） were L. pneumophila with 21 （52.5%） Legionellapneumophila serogroup （sg） 1, 16 （40%） L. pneumophila sg 5, 2 （5%） L. pneumophila sg 6, 1 （2.5%） L. pneumophila sg 7 and 11/51 Legionella spp. with 10 （90%） L. anisa, 1 （10%） Legionella dumoffii. 5 L. pneumophila sg 1 were associated with 5 L. pneumophila sg 5 and 4 L. pneumophila sg 1 were associated with 4 L. anisa. These results showed that WDS of hospitals, hotels and ships can be heavily colonized by Legionella spp. and may present a risk of Legionnaires＇ disease. Based on these preliminary results, we have just put in place a Legionella survey protocol in Cameroon.

Contamination of Groundwater Sources with Common Waterborne Pathogens and Heficobacter pylori in the West Bank： Case Study of Wadi AI Arroub, Tulkarem and Jericho

Detection of waterborne pathogens in drinking water via rapid DNA amplification assays is an important and crucial public health method. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of waterborne pathogens in groundwater resources in Al Arroub, Tulkarem and Jericho areas using direct PCR （polymerase chain reaction） analysis. Forty-six groundwater samples were collected. The total DNA was extracted from each sample and subjected to PCR analysis directed to specific genes of enteric bacteria, β-lactamases producing bacteria, L. pneumophila （Legionella pneumophila） and H. pylori （Helicobacter pylori）. Enteric bacteria were detected with high frequency in Palestinian water sources followed by 13% occurrence of β-lactamases producing bacteria, 9% of H. pylori and 4% of L. pneumophila. The study shows that shallow groundwater wells and water taped from karstic aquifer is potential for contamination and could not be reliable sources of potable water.

Bacterial Colonization and Occurrence of Legionella in Cooling Towers of Southern General Company for Fertilizer Production in Basrah City

Sixty six water samples were collected from inlets, inside and outlets of cooling towers （22 samples each, once a week）. Samples were screened for bacterial colonization with special focus on Legionella. Percentage occurrence of predominant bacteria present in water samples collected from inlets included： Klebsiella （95.45%）, Enterobacter （90.9%）, Pseudomonas （86.36%）, Escherichia coli （81.81%）, and Legionella （72.72%）. While those predominant in water inside cooling towers were： Pseudomonas （100%）, Staphylococci （81.81%）, Legionella （81.81%） and Bacillus （72.72%）. Incidence of Legionella recovered from inside and outlets of cooling towers sites was similar. Four species of Legionella were identified in water samples collected from inlets, inside and outlets of cooling towers, in the following consecutive frequencies L. pneumophila （72.72%, 81.81% and 81.81%）, L. jordans （18.18%, 36.36% and 27.27%）, L. dumffii （9.09%, 22.72% and 22.72%） and L. oekidegenes （4.54%, 13.63% and 18.18%）. The increased percentage occurrence of Legionella in water collected from inlets and inside cooling towers, as well as those of Pseudomonas and Staphylococci suggest that Legionella is also a hardy organism, being potentially survive as free organism despite water disinfection.

Legionella from Environmental and Clinical Homes for the Mentally Disabled and Comparison of Their Sequence Types

In this study the authors compared the sequence types （STs） designed by sequence based typing （SBT） of 4 clinical and 12 environmental strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 （LP1） which were isolated from hospital facilities for the mentally disabled. The strains were selected after a retrospective surveillance of 565 clinical records （2002-2009） and investigations of water circuit. It was possible to correlate two clinical strains with the corresponding environment, which were collected from showers that had exposed the patients （ST685, ST16） and two clinical strains present in the same structure （STI）. The other environmental strains were isolated from water in the department with confirmed or suspected clinical cases. All the strains （seven） from the first structure had ST188; two from the second structure had ST34; and the last from the third structure, gave an ST694. The results were compared with the European Working Group for Legionella Infections （EWGLI） database： the ST 1, 16, 34 and 188 were already known in literature, among clinical and nosocomial cases, especially for ST 1, the most distributed worldwide. Two STs were new to the database. ST685 was isolated both from a patient and from the water; ST694, which was found exclusively in the environmental compartment of a control structure （no cases of legionellosis and low number of nosocomial pneumonia）, was unknown in the literature and the authors could only speculate on its possible minor virulence and/or distribution. The implementation of SBT and international comparisons may be useful to gain genotypic knowledge of circulating environmental strains, also verifying their presence in the clinical setting.

Occurrence of Legionella pneumophila in Hot Potable Water in Latvia

Legionellae are found in freshwater environments or wet soil, but the major reservoirs are man-made aquatic environments, particularly warm water systems. Our aim was to study the occurrence of Legionella contamination in hot potable water supply systems in apartment and public buildings. Correlations between Legionella spp. positive cases and water source, sampling point and temperature of hot water at the point of consumption were studied. A total of 149 hot water samples were collected in 16 cities and districts of Latvia. Only Legionella pneumophila was isolated. L. pneumophila was found in 63 out of 149 （42%） hot water samples. From all Legionella spp. positive samples, 17% represented L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and 78% L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 （15）. In 5% of Legionella spp. positive samples, both serogroups 1 and 2-14（15） were isolated. Statistically significant differences were observed in the distribution of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 in samples from various water sources. L. pneumophila was found in 45% of samples from private apartments and in 27% of samples from public buildings. Data analysis confirmed that the temperature of hot water significantly affects the frequency of L. pneumophila positive cases （p 〈 0.05）. Data showed that 85% of consumers received hot water at a temperature below 50°C.

柯林斯加入Seven工作室

Seven工作室今晨宣布，业界老兵乔治·柯林斯将加入该公司，担任一部即将开发的新作的制作总监，该游戏的详细资料目前尚未透露。乔治·柯林斯曾经为Activision公司开发过《战争地带》(Battlezone)和《战争地带Ⅱ》等作品。

Cell biology and immunology lessons taught by Legionella pneumophila

Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of replicating within a broad range of hosts. One unique feature of this pathogen is the cohort of ca. 300 virulence factors(effectors) delivered into host cells via its Dot/Icm type IV secretion system. Study of these proteins has produced novel insights into the mechanisms of host function modulation by pathogens, the regulation of essential processes of eukaryotic cells and of immunosurveillance. In this review, we will briefly discuss the roles of some of these effectors in the creation of a niche permissive for bacterial replication in phagocytes and recent advancements in the dissection of the innate immune detection mechanisms by challenging immune cells with L. pneumophila.