Mar 21 2019
Water is a prime source for spreading the bacteria Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium, which cause lung disease—legionellosis and pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterium disease, respectively. A new Journal of Applied Microbiology study has studied the presence of these microbes in tap water from homes and office buildings throughout the US.
The occurrence of M. avium and L. pneumophila was mostly sporadic. Office buildings were susceptible to microbial persistence regardless of the age of the building and square footage. Microbial persistence at homes was observed in those older than 40 years for L. pneumophila and was seldom observed for M. avium.
The researchers observed that the lack of reliable detections lowers the potential to cause an outbreak among a group of workers or a family.
Residences are often suspected to be the source of bacteria when a case of disease is reported, but this study shows that this may not be the case for a sporadic incidence. Data from this study can help public health officials pinpoint locations of disease transmission, inform decisions on detection or recovery of the causative agent, and improve public health protection.
Dr. Maura Donohue, Lead Author, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati.