Persistence of Legionella in hospital water supplies and nosocomial Legionnaires' disease

The molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental Legionella species isolates was studied in seven hospitals from 1989 to 2006. The number of environmental pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns ranged from one to nine according to the hospital. Genomic PFGE pattern persistence was observed in 71% of the hospitals, even after 17 years in some hospitals, and the relationship between environmental and clinical isolates was established. The isolates associated with hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease corresponded to the persistent environmental PFGE patterns of Legionella pneumophila in potable water supplies.