Title: Time to rethink environmental Legionella testing. A case study evaluating the shifting role of PCR technologies in routine Legionella monitoring to support rapid response for the industry.
Learner Objectives:
In this study, three separate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based rapid microbiological methods were evaluated against the CDC recommended cultural method to determine what role PCR technologies employing live cell detection should play in the industry for routine monitoring of Legionella in water to enable more rapid response and avoid public health crises.
Content/Topic Outline:
It has long been understood that Legionella are the causative agent of Legionnaires’ Disease, which has a mortality rate of approximately 10% according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Legionella are commonly present to varying degrees in natural aquatic environments but can quickly multiply to dangerous concentrations in manufactured water systems and cooling towers. As such, maintaining clean water through a rigorous Water Management Plan (WMP), including routine testing for Legionella, is critical to controlling the waterborne pathogen and avoiding public health crises.
WMPs typically specify location and frequency of monitoring of testing for the presence of Legionella following a cultural microbiological method. Traditional Legionella culture methods may require up to 14 days or longer to obtain valid results. In this study, three separate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based rapid microbiological methods were evaluated against the CDC recommended cultural method to determine what role, if any, PCR technologies employing live cell detection should have in the industry for routine monitoring of Legionella in water.
Presenter:
Michael Loewenstein, VP, Scientific Consulting, Q Labs LLC
Joe Benzinger, Microbiology Technology Leader, Q Labs LLC
Presentation Description:
It has long been understood that Legionella are the causative agent of Legionnaires’ Disease, which has a mortality rate of approximately 10% according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Legionella are commonly present to varying degrees in natural aquatic environments but can quickly multiply to dangerous concentrations in manufactured water systems and cooling towers. As such, maintaining clean water through a rigorous Water Management Plan (WMP), including routine testing for Legionella, is critical to controlling the waterborne pathogen and avoiding public health crises.
WMPs typically specify location and frequency of monitoring of testing for the presence of Legionella following a cultural microbiological method. Traditional Legionella culture methods may require up to 14 days or longer to obtain valid results. While these cultural methods have been considered the “gold standard” for decades, the long time to result can lead to delayed response to potential Legionella contamination issues. In addition, because cultural methods rely, by definition, on cells not only being viable, but culturable, it is likely that presence of Legionella is being underreported.
In this study, three separate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based rapid microbiological methods were evaluated against the CDC recommended cultural method. While PCR kits for the detection of Legionella have been commercially available for years, there were several problems: they could not distinguish between live and dead cells, they were not at all quantitative, and had significant variability. However, in recent years, diagnostic test kit companies and method developers have responded to attempt to address these issues. This presentation will provide the results of the evaluation, and provide data to support our belief that rapid methods should be more routinely utilized as a reliable, routine monitoring tool for Legionella. The quick time to result, and higher sensitivity when compared to cultural methods, may allow industry to be more agile in quickly responding to Legionella recoveries, and subsequent interventions to maintain public health and safety.
Presenter Bio:
Michael Loewenstein
Michael Loewenstein is the current Vice President of Scientific Consulting, at Q Labs LLC in Cincinnati, OH. Michael earned his B.S. in Microbiology, with a research focus in Molecular Genetics and Cellular Physiology from The Ohio State University. After graduation, Michael obtained a position in Corporate R&D Microbiology at Procter & Gamble. There Michael developed and validated various microbiological methods including rapid/alternative methods, worked on patented microbiological claims, and developed and launched preservative systems across a broad range of P&G products. Also while at P&G, Michael developed expertise in, and a passion for holistic, “end-to-end” Microbiology from product development and formulation through microbiological control of manufacturing, including design of water systems and microbial monitoring programs of purified water. He has published several articles on these subjects. Michael developed and implemented microbiological control plans for all R&D Manufacturing Facilities for P&G globally. In 2017 Michael took an assignment as the Site Microbiology Manager for a large, P&G drug manufacturing facility in North Carolina before accepting the position with Q Labs LLC in December of 2018.
Joe Benzinger
Looking forward to his 30th year with Q Laboratories, Joe Benzinger is a key member of the Q Labs Technology Advancement Group (TAG) and Educational Development Group. As part of the TAG Team, he is challenged with evaluating new technologies and determining fit for purpose platforms that will advance the productivity of the food safety microbiology lab while providing additional value for the company’s current and future customers. As part of the Educational Development Group, he has established himself as an in-house mentor, providing insight and knowledge to all microbiology analysts regarding traditional and rapid microbial detection methods. Prior to those roles he was the Project Leader in the Microbiology Research and Development Department. The primary role of his team was to serve as an independent, third-party Expert Laboratory with a focus on conducting method validations and verifications for rapid diagnostic microbiological methods. These validations included Independent Laboratory evaluations for AOAC Official Methods of Analysis, AOAC Research Institute Performance Tested Methods Program, MicroVal and AFNOR NF Certification Programs. Joe earned his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.