DETECTION OF LEGIONELLA SPP USING A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE POLYMERASECHAIN-REACTION TEST

A commercial test kit (the EnviroAmp Legionella Kit) for the detection of legionellas using the polymerase chain reaction is compared with t he standard culture methods for water samples. The EnviroAmp kit prove d to be rapid and did not require great experience of molecular biolog ical techniques. However as number of samples which tested negative wi th the standard culture, were positive with the kit; further research is needed to establish whether this due to the detection of dead or vi able but non-culturable legionellas.