Legionella and Waterborne Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Legionella bacteria naturally occur in freshwater environments like lakes and rivers. However, they can also thrive in human-made water systems such as cooling towers, hot tubs, plumbing networks, and decorative fountains. They, primarily Legionella pneumophila, can lead to waterborne diseases when they contaminate water systems and are subsequently inhaled by humans. In Europe, Australia, and the USA, an estimated 10 to 15 cases of Legionellosis per million individuals are officially reported annually. However, in numerous countries, the limited availability of diagnostic tools and surveillance infrastructure leads to an uncertain assessment of its occurrence. The implementation of water management programs to identify Legionella and take steps to minimize the growth and transmission of Legionella are the most critical measures to prevent and control Legionellosis. We invite you to submit original research and review articles related to the issue of Legionella and waterborne diseases. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Epidemiology: the patterns of Legionellosis occurrence, such as geographic distribution and trends over time.
• Microbiology: the genetic diversity, growth conditions, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence of the bacteria.
• Clinical Manifestations: symptoms, disease severity, and the factors that influence whether an infected individual develops Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever.
• Diagnosis: the development of laboratory tests to detect Legionella bacteria or antibodies in patient samples.
• Prevention: strategies for controlling Legionella contamination in water systems, including the use of disinfection techniques, temperature control, and water management plans.
• Treatment: effective treatments for Legionellosis, such as studying the susceptibility of different Legionella strains to various antibiotics and identifying factors that may impact treatment outcomes.
• Public Health Policy: the regulations and guidelines of water safety, outbreak response, public health messaging, environmental monitoring, and policy evaluation.

Dr. Angelo Baggiani
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Legionella
• waterborne disease
• environment
• Legionnaires' disease
• Pontiac fever