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Molecular diversity and high virulence of Legionella pneumophila strains isolated from biofilms developed within a warm spring of a thermal spa.
[legionellosis]
Several
cases
of
legionellosis
have
been
diagnosed
in
the
same
French
thermal
spa
in
1986
,
1994
and
1997
.
L
.
pneumophila
serogroup
1
(
Lp
1
)
strains
have
been
isolated
from
several
patients
,
but
the
source
of
contamination
was
not
identified
despite
the
presence
of
different
Lp
1
in
water
samples
of
the
three
natural
springs
feeding
the
spa
at
this
period
.
Our
strategy
was
to
investigate
L
.
pneumophila
(
Lp
)
strains
from
natural
biofilms
developed
in
a
sulphur-rich
warm
spring
of
this
contaminated
site
.
Biofilm
analysis
revealed
the
presence
of
three
Lp
serogroups
(
Lp
1
,
Lp
10
and
Lp
12
)
.
Surprisingly
,
Lp
10
and
Lp
12
were
not
reported
in
the
previous
described
studies
from
water
samples
.
Besides
,
the
new
seven
Lp
1
we
isolated
exhibit
a
high
molecular
diversity
and
have
been
differentiated
in
five
classes
according
to
their
DNA
genome
patterns
obtained
by
PFGE
and
mip
sequences
.
It
must
be
noted
that
these
DNA
patterns
are
original
and
unknown
in
databases
.
Interestingly
,
the
27
Lp
environmental
strains
we
isolated
display
a
higher
cytotoxicity
and
virulence
towards
the
amoeba
Acanthamoeba
castellanii
than
those
of
known
Lp
1
epidemic
strains
.
The
characteristics
of
Legionella
pneumophila
Lp
1
strains
isolated
from
the
warm
spring
are
in
agreement
with
their
presence
in
biofilms
and
their
probable
long
-term
persistence
in
this
ecosystem
.