Yafteh

Background: Legionella is a negative aquatic bacterium and one of the most common nosocomial pathogen. Hospital environment in case of growth, aerosol transmission system and endangered individuals are the high potential location for growth and prevalence of this agent. The suitable temperature in water reservoirs and water distribution system empowered the growth of this bactria. The purpose of this investigation is the study of legionella presence in khorramabad water distribution system.

Materials and Methods: Sampling performed with fifteen-day periods of each cold and hot hospital water reservoirs and also cold and hot water taps in those hospital wards which have more pathogens. Each of samples concentrate high vulnerable membrane and from each sample 2 plates were cultured with BCYE and GVPC optional culture media and the growth of bacteria in third and seventh and tenth days were controlled and registered.

Results: From 240 samples of five Khorramabad hospitals 41.7 percent of the samples were positive. The percent of positive samples of Ashayer, Tamin ejtemaee, Tohid, and Asalian were respectively 68.8, 45.5, 33.3, 9.1 and 36.4 percent and the residual mean chlorine of samples were respectively 0.38, 0.52, 0.46, 0.82 and 0.62mg/l. The most positive samples related to hot shower and the lowest value related to cold water taps.

Conclusion: In spite of the fact that all hospitals used treated water, but from 240 collected samples, 100 samples in different sections of hospital were positive these results show direct relation between residual chlorine value and presence of legionella, by the manner that in 0.6 mg/l and higher values of residual chlorine none of samples were positive. So usually the residual chlorine value in water distribution system is not enough to legionella against.