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Tomaskovic I, Gonzalez A, Dikic I. Ubiquitin and Legionella: From bench to bedside. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 132:230-241. [PMID: 35177348 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila, a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium, is one of the major causes of Legionnaires' disease, a specific type of atypical pneumonia. Despite intensive research efforts that elucidated many relevant structural, molecular and medical insights into Legionella's pathogenicity, Legionnaires' disease continues to present an ongoing public health concern. Legionella's virulence is based on its ability to simultaneously hijack multiple molecular pathways of the host cell to ensure its fast replication and dissemination. Legionella usurps the host ubiquitin system through multiple effector proteins, using the advantage of both conventional and unconventional (phosphoribosyl-linked) ubiquitination, thus providing optimal conditions for its replication. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of L. pneumophila from medical, biochemical and molecular perspectives. We describe the clinical disease presentation, its diagnostics and treatment, as well as host-pathogen interactions, with the emphasis on the ability of Legionella to target the host ubiquitin system upon infection. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary use of innovative technologies enables better insights into the pathogenesis of Legionnaires' disease and provides new opportunities for its treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Tomaskovic
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alexis Gonzalez
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ivan Dikic
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University School of Medicine, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Riedberg Campus, Max-von-Laue Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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2
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Zhan XY, Yang JL, Sun H, Zhou X, Qian YC, Huang K, Leng Y, Huang B, He Y. Presence of Viable, Clinically Relevant Legionella Bacteria in Environmental Water and Soil Sources of China. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0114021. [PMID: 35438512 PMCID: PMC9241679 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01140-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of pathogenic Legionella in the environmental soil and water of China has not been documented yet. In this study, Legionella was detected in 129 of 575 water (22.43%) and 41 of 442 soil samples (9.28%) by culture. Twelve Legionella species were identified, of which 11 were disease-associated. Of the Legionella-positive samples, 109 of 129 (84.50%) water and 29 of 41 (70.73%) soil were positive for L. pneumophila, which accounted for about 75% of Legionella isolates in both water and soil, suggesting L. pneumophila was the most frequent species. Soil showed a higher diversity of Legionella spp. as compared with water (0.6279 versus 0.4493). In contrast, serogroup (sg) 1 was more prevalent among L. pneumophila isolates from water than from soil (26.66% versus 12.21%). Moreover, many disease-associated sequence types (STs) of L. pneumophila were found in China. Intragenic recombination was acting on L. pneumophila from both water and soil. Phylogeny, population structure, and molecular evolution analyses revealed a probable existence of L. pneumophila isolates with a special genetic background that is more adaptable to soil or water sources and a small proportion of genetic difference between water and soil isolates. The detection of viable, clinically relevant Legionella demonstrates soil as another source for harboring and dissemination of pathogenic Legionella bacteria in China. Future research should assess the implication in public health with the presence of Legionella in the soil and illustrate the genetic and pathogenicity difference of Legionella between water and soil, particularly the most prevalent L. pneumophila. IMPORTANCE Pathogenic Legionella spp. is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and L. pneumophila is the most common one. Most studies have focused on L. pneumophila from water and clinical samples. However, the soil is another important reservoir for this bacterium, and the distribution of Legionella spp. in water and soil sources has not been compared and documented in China yet. Discovering the distribution of Legionella spp. and L. pneumophila in the two environments may help a deep understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular evolution of the bacterium. Our research systematically uncovered the distributions of Legionella spp. in different regions and sources (e.g., water and soil) of China. Moreover, phylogeny, population structure, and molecular evolution study revealed the possible existence of L. pneumophila with a special genetic background that is more adaptable to soil or water sources, and genetic difference may exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yong Zhan
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jin-Lei Yang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Honghua Sun
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefu Zhou
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi-Chao Qian
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ke Huang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Leng
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bihui Huang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulong He
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
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Mao Y, Akdeniz N, Nguyen TH. Quantification of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in backyard and commercial composts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 797:149197. [PMID: 34311369 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Compost is widely used for gardening. Growers can choose to buy compost from markets or make compost at home. Potential exposure of users to pathogens through composting includes ingesting foodborne pathogens and inhaling airborne pathogens. This study compared the abundances of the genetic markers of five opportunistic foodborne and airborne pathogens in the backyard and commercial composts, as well as an immature swine mortality compost. We found that ttrC of Salmonella enterica and ftsZ of Escherichia coli were absent from all ready-to-use compost samples. In contrast, the genes of airborne pathogens such as groEL2 of Mycobacterium spp., mip of Legionella pneumophila, and gyrB of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected in the backyard and commercial composts. The groEL2 gene of Mycobacterium spp. was detected in all samples, including the control soil. The abundance of gyrB of P. aeruginosa was high in the two backyard composts, and it was higher than those in any other compost samples. The relative abundances of ARGs were significantly lower in backyard composts than commercial composts. We found that ftsZ of E. coli co-existed with multiple single-drug resistant ARGs in the immature swine mortality compost. We also found that mip of L. pneumophila and gyrB of P. aeruginosa co-existed with aminoglycoside resistance genes. Our findings suggest that inhaling airborne pathogens may carry more risk than ingesting foodborne pathogens when applying composts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Mao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Neslihan Akdeniz
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Thanh H Nguyen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
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Chambers ST, Withers A, Dawson K, Anderson T, Williman J, Murdoch D, Scott-Thomas A, Slow S. How safe are gloves and masks used for protection against Legionella longbeachae infection when gardening? Lett Appl Microbiol 2021; 73:616-622. [PMID: 34338345 DOI: 10.1111/lam.13546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Legionella longbeachae has been frequently identified in composted plant material and can cause Legionnaires' disease (LD). We wanted to determine how frequently L. longbeachae DNA was present on gardeners' gloves, and how long L. longbeachae could persist on inoculated gloves and masks. Volunteers completed a survey of gardening practices and their gardening gloves were tested for L. longbeachae DNA by qPCR. The persistence of viable L. longbeachae was assessed by timed subcultures after inoculation of gardening gloves and masks. Gloves but not masks were used regularly. L. longbeachae was detected on 11 (14%; 95% CI 8-24%) gloves. Viable organisms were recovered from 25-50% of inoculated cotton, leather and PU coated gloves but not rubber gloves after 8 h incubation. There was a difference in dose-response curve slopes by glove material (P = 0·001) and time to 50% sterility (P = 0·036). There were differences in persistence of L. longbeachae between mask types from analysis of the slopes and 50% sterility on the decay curves (P = 0·042, P < 0·001 respectively). Gardening gloves and masks may act as a vector for transmission of L. longbeachae during gardening. Washing gardening gloves and prompt disposal of masks could reduce risk of LD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Chambers
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - A Withers
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - K Dawson
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - T Anderson
- Canterbury Health Laboratories, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - J Williman
- Population Health, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - D Murdoch
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - A Scott-Thomas
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - S Slow
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Beauté J, Plachouras D, Sandin S, Giesecke J, Sparén P. Healthcare-Associated Legionnaires' Disease, Europe, 2008-2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:2309-2318. [PMID: 32946366 PMCID: PMC7510712 DOI: 10.3201/eid2610.181889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare-associated Legionnaires’ disease (HCA LD) can cause nosocomial outbreaks with high death rates. We compared community-acquired LD cases with HCA LD cases in Europe during 2008−2017 using data from The European Surveillance System. A total of 29 countries reported 40,411 community-acquired and 4,315 HCA LD cases. Of the HCA LD cases, 2,937 (68.1%) were hospital-acquired and 1,378 (31.9%) were linked to other healthcare facilities. The odds of having HCA LD were higher for women, children and persons <20 years of age, and persons >60 years of age. Out of the cases caused by Legionella pneumophila with a known serotype, community-acquired LD was more likely to be caused by L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (92.3%) than was HCA LD (85.1%). HCA LD patients were more likely to die. HCA LD is associated with specific patient demographics, causative strains, and outcomes. Healthcare facilities should consider these characteristics when designing HCA LD prevention strategies.
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Löf E, Chereau F, Jureen P, Andersson S, Rizzardi K, Edquist P, Kühlmann-Berenzon S, Galanis I, Schönning C, Kais M, Tideholm Nylén A, Wallensten A, Roth A. An outbreak investigation of Legionella non-pneumophila Legionnaires’ disease in Sweden, April to August 2018: Gardening and use of commercial bagged soil associated with infections. Euro Surveill 2021; 26. [PMID: 33602385 PMCID: PMC7897914 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2021.26.7.1900702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In early June 2018, an increase in non-travel-related cases of Legionella non-pneumophila Legionnaires’ disease (LD) was observed in Sweden and a national outbreak investigation was started. Outbreak cases were defined as notified confirmed or probable cases of L. non-pneumophila LD, with symptom onset after 1 April 2018. From April to August 2018, 41 cases were reported, 30 of whom were identified as L. longbeachae. We conducted a case–control study with 27 cases and 182 matched controls. Results from the case–control study indicated that gardening and handling commercial bagged soil, especially dusty dry soil, were associated with disease. L. longbeachae was isolated in soils from cases’ homes or gardens, but joint analysis of soil and human specimens did not identify any genetic clonality. Substantial polyclonality was noted between and within soil samples, which made finding a genetic match between soil and human specimens unlikely. Therefore, whole genome sequencing may be of limited use to confirm a specific soil as a vehicle of transmission for L. longbeachae. Handling soil for residential gardening was associated with disease and the isolation of L. longbeachae in different soils provided further evidence for Legionella non-pneumophila infection from soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Löf
- European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
| | - Fanny Chereau
- European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
| | - Pontus Jureen
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
| | | | | | - Petra Edquist
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
| | | | - Ilias Galanis
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
| | | | - Madeleine Kais
- Stockholm County Council Department of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anne Tideholm Nylén
- Stockholm County Council Department of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Adam Roth
- Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), Solna, Sweden
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Bell H, Chintalapati S, Patel P, Halim A, Kithas A, Schmalzle SA. Legionella longbeachae pneumonia: Case report and review of reported cases in non-endemic countries. IDCases 2021; 23:e01050. [PMID: 33511033 PMCID: PMC7817369 DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella longbeachae pneumonia is much less common than Legionella pneumophila pneumonia in most of the world and may evade timely diagnosis in settings that rely primarily on urine antigen testing, which detects Legionella pnuemophila serogroup 1 only. It is, however, widely recognized in Australia and New Zealand, where it is endemic and associated with exposure to compost and potting soils, rather than contaminated water systems as seen with L. pneumophila. L. longbeachae can cause a similar spectrum and severity of illness as L. pneumophila. Here we present a case of a 47-year-old man with L. longbeacheae necrotizing pneumonia following exposure to possibly contaminated soil from a wastewater treatment facility. Initial presentation included cough, chest pain, and dyspnea, and progressed to hypoxic respiratory failure, tension pneumothorax, and cardiac arrest. L. pneumophila urine antigen was negative, but bronchioalveolar lavage samples grew L. longbeachae on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. A review of cases reported in the literature in non-endemic regions over a 20-year period identified 38 cases in Europe, 33 in Asia, and 8 in North America. Average age was 65, 65 % were male, and 35 % had potentially relevant environmental exposures. L. longbeachae should be considered in cases of severe community acquired pneumonia, particularly following a consistent environmental exposure or if initial testing for other pathogens is unrevealing. A thorough exposure history including questions about contact with potting soil or compost, and utilization of specialized agar for culture can both be key in identifying this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Bell
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Sai Chintalapati
- University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Preet Patel
- University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Ameer Halim
- University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Andrew Kithas
- University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Sarah A Schmalzle
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.,University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
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8
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Huss A, Derks L, Heederik D, Wouters I. Green waste compost as potential reservoirs of Legionella in the Netherlands. Clin Microbiol Infect 2020; 26:1259.e1-1259.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mondino S, Schmidt S, Rolando M, Escoll P, Gomez-Valero L, Buchrieser C. Legionnaires’ Disease: State of the Art Knowledge of Pathogenesis Mechanisms of Legionella. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2020; 15:439-466. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012419-032742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Legionella species are environmental gram-negative bacteria able to cause a severe form of pneumonia in humans known as Legionnaires’ disease. Since the identification of Legionella pneumophila in 1977, four decades of research on Legionella biology and Legionnaires’ disease have brought important insights into the biology of the bacteria and the molecular mechanisms that these intracellular pathogens use to cause disease in humans. Nowadays, Legionella species constitute a remarkable model of bacterial adaptation, with a genus genome shaped by their close coevolution with amoebae and an ability to exploit many hosts and signaling pathways through the secretion of a myriad of effector proteins, many of which have a eukaryotic origin. This review aims to discuss current knowledge of Legionella infection mechanisms and future research directions to be taken that might answer the many remaining open questions. This research will without a doubt be a terrific scientific journey worth taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Mondino
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
| | - Silke Schmidt
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
- Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Monica Rolando
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
| | - Pedro Escoll
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
| | - Laura Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, CNRS UMR 3525, 75015 Paris, France;, , , , ,
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Dyke S, Barrass I, Pollock K, Hall IM. Dispersion of Legionella bacteria in atmosphere: A practical source location estimation method. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224144. [PMID: 31765384 PMCID: PMC6876933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia which can be fatal, is transmitted via the inhalation of water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. These droplets can be dispersed in the atmosphere several kilometers from their source. The most common such sources are contaminated water within cooling towers and other air-conditioning systems but other sources such as ornamental fountains and spa pools have also caused outbreaks of the disease in the past. There is an obvious need to locate and eliminate any such sources as quickly as possible. Here a maximum likelihood model estimating the source of an outbreak from case location data has been developed and implemented. Unlike previous models, the average dose exposure sub-model is formulated using a atmospheric dispersion model. How the uncertainty in inferred parameters can be estimated is discussed. The model is applied to the 2012 Edinburgh Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Dyke
- Emergency Response Department Science and Technology (ERD S&T), Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP4 0JG
| | - Iain Barrass
- Emergency Response Department Science and Technology (ERD S&T), Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP4 0JG
| | - Kevin Pollock
- Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Hall
- Emergency Response Department Science and Technology (ERD S&T), Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP4 0JG
- * E-mail:
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12
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Pletz MW, Ewig S, Welte T. PCR-based routine diagnostics uncover hidden burden of Legionnaires' disease. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2019; 19:681-683. [PMID: 31196814 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(19)30171-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias W Pletz
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07740, Germany.
| | - Santiago Ewig
- Thoraxzentrum Ruhrgebiet, Kliniken für Pneumologie und Infektiologie, Herne und Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias Welte
- Department of Pneumology and German Center for Lung Research, Hannover Medical School, Germany
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Duron O, Doublet P, Vavre F, Bouchon D. The Importance of Revisiting Legionellales Diversity. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:1027-1037. [PMID: 30322750 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria of the order Legionellales, such as Legionella pneumophila, the agent of Legionnaires' disease, and Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, are widely recognized as human pathogens. While our view of the Legionellales is often limited to clinical isolates, ecological surveys are continually uncovering new members of the Legionellales that do not fall into the recognized pathogenic species. Here we emphasize that most of these Legionellales are nonpathogenic forms that have evolved symbiotic lifestyles with nonvertebrate hosts. The diversity of nonpathogenic forms remains, however, largely underexplored. We conjecture that its characterization, once contrasted with the data on pathogenic species, will reveal novel highlights on the mechanisms underlying lifestyle transitions of intracellular bacteria, including the emergence of pathogenesis and mutualism, transmission routes, and host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), 911 Avenue Agropolis, F-34394 Montpellier, France.
| | - Patricia Doublet
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, INSERM, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, F-69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Fabrice Vavre
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Didier Bouchon
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267, F-86073 Poitiers, France
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14
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Marchand G, Lord J, Pépin C, Lacombe N. Combining Environmental Investigation and a Dual-Analytical Strategy to Isolate the Legionella longbeachae Strain Linked to Two Occupational Cases of Legionellosis. Ann Work Expo Health 2018; 62:321-327. [PMID: 29304227 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxx109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella has a global distribution, mainly in aquatic and man-made environments. Under the right conditions, this bacterium is a notorious human pathogen responsible for severe pulmonary illnesses. Legionellosis outbreaks are reported around the world, and exposure to water droplet aerosols containing Legionella pneumophila is usually the mechanism of its transmission. Even if L. pneumophila causes most outbreaks, Legionella longbeachae also accounts for some cases. Unlike most other Legionella strains, L. longbeachae is typically found in soil. Given the wide diversity and high concentration of microorganisms found in soil, isolating L. longbeachae by culture can be challenging. Because the chances of successfully isolating the strain are low, it is often not even attempted. This study reports the strategies used to successfully isolate L. longbeachae strain that was responsible of the two occupational legionellosis in Quebec. Fifteen random samples were collected from the soil of the metal recycling plant where the diagnosed workers were employed, covering 1.5% of the accessible surface of the plant. All samples were analyzed with both the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and culture methods. Four qPCR detection systems targeting Legionella spp, L. pneumophila, L. pneumophila serogroup 1, and L. longbeachae were used. Acid, heat, and acid/heat treatments were used for the culture method. For the qPCR method, all samples were positives for Legionella spp but only four were positives for L. longbeachae. For the culture method, only one isolate could be confirmed to be L. longbeachae. However, that strain proves to be the same one that caused the occupational legionellosis. Detecting the presence of L. longbeachae using the qPCR method made it possible to target the right samples to enable the cultivable strain of L. longbeachae to be isolated from the soil of the metal recycling plant. The complementarity of the two methods was established. This paper demonstrated the advantages of selecting the proper sampling and analytical strategies to achieve the isolation of the strain responsible for the infections. It also highlights for the first time in Quebec the potential occupational risks associated with L. longbeachae from soil and should motivate questioning soil exposures when all sources of water contamination have been eliminated from the causal analysis of legionellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Marchand
- Department of Chemical and Biological Hazard Prevention, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (IRSPUM), Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marguerite d'Youville, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Judith Lord
- Direction de santé publique-CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre Équipe de santé au travail, rue Beauregard, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carole Pépin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Hazard Prevention, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nancy Lacombe
- Department of Chemical and Biological Hazard Prevention, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Appelt S, Heuner K. The Flagellar Regulon of Legionella-A Review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:454. [PMID: 29104863 PMCID: PMC5655016 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Legionella genus comprises more than 60 species. In particular, Legionella pneumophila is known to cause severe illnesses in humans. Legionellaceae are ubiquitous inhabitants of aquatic environments. Some Legionellaceae are motile and their motility is important to move around in habitats. Motility can be considered as a potential virulence factor as already shown for various human pathogens. The genes of the flagellar system, regulator and structural genes, are structured in hierarchical levels described as the flagellar regulon. Their expression is modulated by various environmental factors. For L. pneumophila it was shown that the expression of genes of the flagellar regulon is modulated by the actual growth phase and temperature. Especially, flagellated Legionella are known to express genes during the transmissive phase of growth that are involved in the expression of virulence traits. It has been demonstrated that the alternative sigma-28 factor is part of the link between virulence expression and motility. In the following review, the structure of the flagellar regulon of L. pneumophila is discussed and compared to other flagellar systems of different Legionella species. Recently, it has been described that Legionella micdadei and Legionella fallonii contain a second putative partial flagellar system. Hence, the report will focus on flagellated and non-flagellated Legionella strains, phylogenetic relationships, the role and function of the alternative sigma factor (FliA) and its anti-sigma-28 factor (FlgM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Appelt
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Heuner
- Cellular Interactions of Bacterial Pathogens, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Khodr A, Kay E, Gomez-Valero L, Ginevra C, Doublet P, Buchrieser C, Jarraud S. Molecular epidemiology, phylogeny and evolution of Legionella. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 43:108-22. [PMID: 27180896 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Legionella are opportunistic pathogens that develop in aquatic environments where they multiply in protozoa. When infected aerosols reach the human respiratory tract they may accidentally infect the alveolar macrophages leading to a severe pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease (LD). The ability of Legionella to survive within host-cells is strictly dependent on the Dot/Icm Type 4 Secretion System that translocates a large repertoire of effectors into the host cell cytosol. Although Legionella is a large genus comprising nearly 60 species that are worldwide distributed, only about half of them have been involved in LD cases. Strikingly, the species Legionella pneumophila alone is responsible for 90% of all LD cases. The present review summarizes the molecular approaches that are used for L. pneumophila genotyping with a major focus on the contribution of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to the investigation of local L. pneumophila outbreaks and global epidemiology studies. We report the newest knowledge regarding the phylogeny and the evolution of Legionella and then focus on virulence evolution of those Legionella species that are known to have the capacity to infect humans. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary forces and adaptation mechanisms acting on the Dot/Icm system itself as well as the role of mobile genetic elements (MGE) encoding T4ASSs and of gene duplications in the evolution of Legionella and its adaptation to different hosts and lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Khodr
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, France; CNRS, UMR 3525, 28, Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - E Kay
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Lyon 1, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon F-69008, France
| | - L Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, France; CNRS, UMR 3525, 28, Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - C Ginevra
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Lyon 1, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon F-69008, France; French National Reference Center of Legionella, Institut des agents infectieux, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - P Doublet
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Lyon 1, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon F-69008, France
| | - C Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, France; CNRS, UMR 3525, 28, Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - S Jarraud
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Lyon 1, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon F-69008, France; French National Reference Center of Legionella, Institut des agents infectieux, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
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