International. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, have developed a quick way to find the exact source of Legionella disease in order to prevent new infections. The new process takes approximately 35 minutes.
To date, a detailed analysis of this class may take several days. Legionella are rod-shaped bacteria that can cause life-threatening pneumonia in humans. They multiply into warm water and can be dispersed in the air through cooling towers, evaporative cooling systems and hot water systems.
The most dangerous among the nearly 50 species of Legionella is Legionella pneumophila. It is responsible for 80 percent of all infections. When an outbreak occurs, the source of the germs should be identified as soon as possible to prevent further infections.
Similar to a paternity test, the origin of the outbreak is confirmed when germs in the process water of a technical system exactly match those identified in the patient. However, often numerous systems must be tested in the process, and the culture required for the test takes around ten days.
Faster detection with antibodies
Meanwhile, there is a rapid test to detect the Legionella pathogen in the clinic. Identifies Legionella compounds in the urine of patients. "Unfortunately, this rapid test serves only as a first indication and is not suitable for detecting water from technical systems," says Dr. Michael Seidel, head of the research group of the Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich.
The team of scientists thus developed a measuring chip in the context of the "LegioTyper" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This chip not only detects the dangerous pathogen Legionella pneumophila but also identifies which of the approximately 20 subtypes is present.
Fast, inexpensive and versatile
The paper-based measurement chip uses the MCR microarray analysis platform from munich-based GWK GmbH. Using 20 different antibodies, the system provides a complete analysis in 34 minutes.
"Compared to previous measurements, the new method not only provides a huge speed advantage," says Michael Seidel, "but it's also so cheap that we can use the chip in unique applications."
The system can be implemented for environmental hygiene and clinical diagnosis. In combination with a second DNA-based method, the system can even distinguish between dead and living Legionella pathogens. This makes it possible to monitor the success of disinfection measures.
Data Source Provider: Technical University of Munich.
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