Legionellosis risk—an overview of Legionella spp. habitats in Europe

An increase in the number of reports of legionellosis in the European Union and the European Economic Area have been recorded in recent years. The increase in cases is significant: from 6947 reports in 2015 to 11,298 in 2019. This is alarming as genus Legionella , which comprises a large group of ba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2022-11, Vol.29 (51), p.76532-76542
Main Authors: Kanarek, Piotr, Bogiel, Tomasz, Breza-Boruta, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Amino acids
Anthropogenic factors
Aquatic environment
Aquatic Pollution
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Bacteria
Biofilms
Child
Disease control
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecosystem
Ecotoxicology
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental economics
Environmental Health
Environmental science
Europe
Groundwater
Humans
Humidification
Humidifiers
Immunocompromised hosts
Lakes
Legionella
Legionella pneumophila
Legionellosis - etiology
Legionellosis - microbiology
Microorganisms
Nosocomial infection
Nosocomial infections
Pathogens
Review
Review Article
Soil
Waste Water Technology
Water conveyance
Water Management
Water Microbiology
Water Pollution Control
Water supply
Water supply systems
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Summary:An increase in the number of reports of legionellosis in the European Union and the European Economic Area have been recorded in recent years. The increase in cases is significant: from 6947 reports in 2015 to 11,298 in 2019. This is alarming as genus Legionella , which comprises a large group of bacteria inhabiting various aquatic systems, poses a serious threat to human health and life, since more than 20 species can cause legionellosis, with L. pneumophila being responsible for the majority of cases. The ability to colonize diverse ecosystems makes the eradication of these microorganisms difficult. A detailed understanding of the Legionella habitat may be helpful in the effective control of this pathogen. This paper provides an overview of Legionella environments in Europe: natural (lakes, groundwater, rivers, compost, soil) and anthropogenic (fountains, air humidifiers, water supply systems), and the role of Legionella spp. in nosocomial infections, which are potentially fatal for children, the elderly and immunocompromised patients. Graphical abstract
ISSN:0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/s11356-022-22950-9