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Volume 13
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Article

Occurrence of Uncultured Legionella spp. in Treated Wastewater Effluent and Its Impact on Human Health (SCA.Re.S Project)

by
Osvalda De Giglio
1,*,†,
Giusy Diella
1,†,
Francesco Bagordo
2,
Antonella Francesca Savino
3,
Angelantonio Calabrese
4,
Mariavirginia Campanale
5,
Francesco Triggiano
1,
Francesca Apollonio
1,
Valentina Spagnuolo
1,6,
Marco Lopuzzo
1,6,
Tiziana Grassi
7,
Maria Clementina Caputo
4,
Silvia Brigida
7,
Federica Valeriani
8,
Vincenzo Romano Spica
8 and
Maria Teresa Montagna
1
1
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
2
Department of Pharmacy–Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
3
Hygiene Section, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
4
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA), Via F. De Blasio, 5, 70132 Bari, Italy
5
Engeo soc. cop. a.r.l., 70122 Bari, Italy
6
Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePre-J), University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
7
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Salento, Via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
8
Department of Movement, Human, and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Pathogens 2024, 13(9), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090786
Submission received: 22 July 2024 / Revised: 7 September 2024 / Accepted: 10 September 2024 / Published: 12 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Legionella and Waterborne Disease)
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Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provide optimal conditions for the environmental spread of Legionella. As part of the Evaluation of Sanitary Risk Related to the Discharge of Wastewater to the Ground (SCA.Re.S) project, this study was conducted to evaluate the presence of Legionella in WWTP effluent and in groundwater samples collected from two wells located downstream from the plant. The samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of Legionella spp using the standard culture-based method and molecular techniques, followed by genomic sequencing analysis. Legionella was detected only with the molecular methods (except in one sample of effluent positive for L. pneumophila serogroup 6), which showed viable Legionella pneumophila and L. non-pneumophila through the use of free DNA removal solution in both the effluent and groundwater, with concentrations that progressively decreased downstream from the plant. Viable L. pneumophila appeared to be slightly more concentrated in warm months. However, no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) in concentrations between cold and warm months were observed. A genotypic analysis characterized the species present in the samples and found that uncultured Legionella spp, as yet undefined, constituted the prevalent species in all the samples (range 77.15–83.17%). WWTPs play an important role in the hygienic and sanitary quality of groundwater for different uses. The application of Legionella control systems during the purification of effluents is warranted to prevent possible outbreaks of legionellosis.
Keywords: wastewater treatment plant; Legionella non-pneumophila; detection methods; viability; groundwater wastewater treatment plant; Legionella non-pneumophila; detection methods; viability; groundwater

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MDPI and ACS Style

De Giglio, O.; Diella, G.; Bagordo, F.; Savino, A.F.; Calabrese, A.; Campanale, M.; Triggiano, F.; Apollonio, F.; Spagnuolo, V.; Lopuzzo, M.; et al. Occurrence of Uncultured Legionella spp. in Treated Wastewater Effluent and Its Impact on Human Health (SCA.Re.S Project). Pathogens 2024, 13, 786. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090786

AMA Style

De Giglio O, Diella G, Bagordo F, Savino AF, Calabrese A, Campanale M, Triggiano F, Apollonio F, Spagnuolo V, Lopuzzo M, et al. Occurrence of Uncultured Legionella spp. in Treated Wastewater Effluent and Its Impact on Human Health (SCA.Re.S Project). Pathogens. 2024; 13(9):786. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090786

Chicago/Turabian Style

De Giglio, Osvalda, Giusy Diella, Francesco Bagordo, Antonella Francesca Savino, Angelantonio Calabrese, Mariavirginia Campanale, Francesco Triggiano, Francesca Apollonio, Valentina Spagnuolo, Marco Lopuzzo, and et al. 2024. "Occurrence of Uncultured Legionella spp. in Treated Wastewater Effluent and Its Impact on Human Health (SCA.Re.S Project)" Pathogens 13, no. 9: 786. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090786

APA Style

De Giglio, O., Diella, G., Bagordo, F., Savino, A. F., Calabrese, A., Campanale, M., Triggiano, F., Apollonio, F., Spagnuolo, V., Lopuzzo, M., Grassi, T., Caputo, M. C., Brigida, S., Valeriani, F., Romano Spica, V., & Montagna, M. T. (2024). Occurrence of Uncultured Legionella spp. in Treated Wastewater Effluent and Its Impact on Human Health (SCA.Re.S Project). Pathogens, 13(9), 786. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090786

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