Proof of concept for a rapid, point of use test for Legionella pneumophila

军团菌是一种细菌性疾病，由于吸入了细菌能够生长的水系统中的气溶胶而传播，包括冷却塔、空调、淋浴、水槽、厕所和分娩池。专家必须对所有有员工或公众出入的建筑物（包括医院、酒店、工作场所和出租房屋和办公室）进行军团菌风险评估。目前筛选军团菌的方法包括收集水样并将其送到实验室进行检测，这需要10-12天才能获得结果。该项目旨在开发一种军团菌的快速检测方法，这将允许专业承包商在现场收集和测试水样，并在大约30分钟内返回结果。该测试基于军团菌的特定检测，并使用创新的专利捕获和放大系统，使测试能够检测水样中的低水平细菌。细菌的存在是通过发光反应来检测的，这种反应由手持读取器读取。这个阅读器已经可靠地用于读取环境毒性测试的结果。该测试将需要检测每升水< 100至1000个细菌菌落形成单位（cfu/L），因为这两个值代表了可能需要或必须分别采取行动的两个值。根据最近的HSE指导方针，一些实验室的检测水平低至40 cfu/L。为了达到这些灵敏度水平，我们将使用快速的一次性设备在收集地点浓缩水样，以便在需要时快速检测和采取行动。该系统可以安装在管道系统中，用于系统水的背景检查和验证适当的温度控制。这种做法将在保护公众健康和在私人和增强卫生机构中提供更好的控制方面提供重大的公共卫生效益。

Legionella is a bacterial disease transmitted as a consequence of breathing in aerosols fromwater systems where the bacterium has been able to grow, including cooling towers, airconditioners, showers, sinks, toilets and birthing pools. It is a mandatory requirement forexperts to assess the risk of Legionella in all buildings to which there is employee or publicaccess, including hospitals, hotels, workplaces and rented houses & offices. The currentmethod of screening for Legionella involves collecting a water sample and sending it to alaboratory for testing, which takes 10-12 days to obtain a result. This project aims to develop arapid test for Legionella, which will allow expert contractors to collect and test water samplesat site to return a result within approximately 30 minutes. The test is based on specificdetection of Legionella bacteria and uses an innovative, patented capture and amplificationsystem to allow the test to detect low levels of bacteria in water samples. The presence ofbacteria is detected by a light-emitting reaction, which is read by a hand-held reader. Thisreader is already reliably used to read results from environmental toxicity tests. The test willneed to detect < 100 to 1000 bacteria colony forming units per litre of water (cfu/L) as theserepresent the two values after which action may either need, or must, be taken, respectively.In response to recent HSE guidelines, some laboratories are detecting down to 40 cfu/L. Inorder to achieve these levels of sensitivity, we will use a rapid, single-use device toconcentrate water samples at the site of collection to allow rapid detection and action ifrequired. The system could be incorporated into installation pipework for background checkson system water and to validate proper temperature control. This approach will offersignificant public health benefits in the protection of the health of the public and in providingbetter control in private & augmented health settings.