Effects of Japan Sea Proper Water on the growth ofLegionella pneumophila, Escherichia coli, andStaphylococcus aureus

Sodium levels and grazing pressure shape natural communities of the intracellular pathogen Legionella

BACKGROUND

Legionella are parasites of freshwater protozoa, responsible for Legionellosis. Legionella can be found in a variety of aquatic environments, including rivers, lakes, and springs, as well as in engineered water systems where they can potentially lead to human disease outbarks. Legionella are considered to be predominantly freshwater organisms with a limited ability to proliferate in saline environments. Exposure of Legionella to high sodium concentrations inhibits growth and virulence of laboratory strains, particularly under elevated temperatures. Nonetheless, Legionella have been identified in some saline environments where they likely interact with various protozoan hosts. In this work, we examine how these selection pressures, sodium and grazing, help shape Legionella ecology within natural environments. Utilizing Legionella-specific primers targeting a variable region of the Legionella 16S rRNA gene, we characterized Legionella abundance, diversity, and community composition in natural spring clusters of varying sodium concentrations, focusing on high sodium concentrations and elevated temperatures.

RESULTS

We observed the highest abundance of Legionella in spring clusters of high salinity, particularly in combination with elevated temperatures. Legionella abundance was strongly related to sodium concentrations. The Legionella community structure in saline environments was characterized by relatively low diversity, compared to spring clusters of lower salinity. The community composition in high salinity was characterized by few dominant Legionella genotypes, not related to previously described species. Protozoan microbial community structure and composition patterns resembled those of Legionella, suggesting a common response to similar selection pressures. We examined Legionella co-occurrence with potential protozoan hosts and found associations with Ciliophora and Amoebozoa representatives.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that selection forces in saline environments favor a small yet dominant group of Legionella species that are not closely related to known species. These novel environmental genotypes interact with various protozoan hosts, under environmental conditions of high salinity. Our findings suggest that alternative survival mechanisms are utilized by these species, representing mechanisms distinct from those of well-studied laboratory strains. Our study demonstrate how salinity can shape communities of opportunistic pathogens and their hosts, in natural environments, shedding light on evolutionary forces acting within these complex environments. Video Abstract.

Role of biofilms in the survival of Legionella pneumophila to sodium chloride treatment

Background and Objectives

Legionnaires' disease continues to be a public health concern. Colonized water distribution systems are often implicated in Legionella transmission, despite the use of various disinfection strategies, the bacterium is capable to persist and survive in water systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the persistence of Legionella pneumophila to sodium chloride over time at different temperatures and analysing the role of biofilms in the survival of this bacteria.

Materials and Methods

L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and L. pneumophila serogroup 2-15 were used to study the effect of sodium chloride on planktonic and sessile cells. The tested concentrations were: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 6% and 8% (W/V) NaCl. Biofilms were grown on 24-well microplates.

Results

At 20°C, L. pneumophila planktonic cells were able to survive in sodium chloride concentrations up to 2%. However, at 37°C, a sodium chloride concentration over 1.5%, reduced systematically the numbers of bacterial cells. Biofilms were grown for 20 days in the absence and presence of sodium chloride. The results show that bacterial strains were able to survive and regrow after the sodium chloride shock (2-3%). Moreover, it seems that this effect is less expressed with the age of the biofilm; old biofilms were more persistent than the young ones.

Conclusion

Results from this study demonstrate that the sodium chloride disinfection strategy was effective on Legionella pneumophila planktonic cells but not on biofilms, which demonstrate the role of biofilms in the persistence and recolonization of L. pneumophila in water distribution systems.

Legionella Pneumonia Following the Heavy Rain Event of July 2018 in Japan

We herein report the case of a 62-year-old man diagnosed with Legionella pneumonia while engaged in recovery work in a flooded area after the Heavy Rain Event of July 2018 in Japan. The patient was intubated and maintained on mechanical ventilation and continuous hemodiafiltration. He was also administered antimicrobial therapy with ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. After 53 days in the hospital, he was discharged. It is important to recognize the risk of Legionella infection and to take measures to prevent it during recovery work that involves exposure to water and soil after a flood disaster.

Antibacterial effects of chitosan solution against Legionella pneumophila, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus

Chitosan has been shown to have antibacterial activities on the growth of a wide variety of bacteria. Chitosan solution has been sold commercially for use as an antibacterial agent. Chitosan solution contains not only chitosan but also organic acids as solvents and desalted Japan Sea Proper Water (dJSPW). We aimed to clarify whether chitosan solution has antibacterial activity against bacteria invading bath water, and then to explore the causative factor among these ingredients. The antibacterial activity of full-strength chitosan solution and of 10(2)- and 10(4)-fold chitosan solution diluted with purified water was studied against Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 (L. pneumophila SG1) and 6 (L. pneumophila SG6), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) for 7 days at 37 degrees C. To clarify the causative factor in the antibacterial activity against E. coli, the antibacterial activities of the full-strength and diluted chitosan solutions for 24 h were examined. L. pneumophila SG1 and SG6, and E. coli could not survive in the chitosan solution or in the 10(2)-fold dilute solution for over a day at 37 degrees C. The cells of S. aureus were found to have decreased more than 2.46 log cfu/ml after 1 day of incubation, not only in the chitosan solutions, but also in phosphate buffer solution as a control. No inhibitory effect of dJSPW on the growth of the bacteria was observed. The antibacterial activity of the chitosan solution was lower compared with those of the organic acids solutions, and it increased with decreasing pH value. We observed the antibacterial activity of chitosan solution against L. pneumophila SG1 and SG6, and E. coli, suggesting it may be due to the decreased pH value derived from organic acids rather than from chitosan itself or dJSPW.