Rapid Detection of Legionella in Cooling Tower Water and Air with Different PCR Methods
空调冷却塔水与空气军团菌的PCR方法快速检测

Artificial aerosolized Legionella was collected into buffer and detected by using EnviroAmp Legionella detection kit (5S rRNA and mip genes) method and seminested PCR (16S rRNA gene) method.These methods were also used to detect Legionella in aerosol produced from operating cooling towers which were contaminated by Legionella. From 200L of collected air sample,not only Legionella sp.but also L.pneumophila could be detected.Both methods had similar sensitivity.Seminested PCR method,however,was more simple and more economical,although it failed to detect the species L.Pneumophila because of only genus specific primers being used in this study.The results also indicated that 100% of cooling tower water samples tested contained Legionella sp.and 41.6% of them contained L.pneumophila.