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Comparative Community Analysis and Whole-Genome Sequencing: a pangenome approach to understand the Legionella population within the water system of large occupational buildings
Citation:
Gomez-Alvarez, V., L. Boczek, E. Huff, D. King, A. Pemberton, S. Pfaller, M. Rodgers, J. Santo Domingo, AND R. Revetta. Comparative Community Analysis and Whole-Genome Sequencing: a pangenome approach to understand the Legionella population within the water system of large occupational buildings. Presented at WQTC 2019, Dallas, Texas, November 03 - 07, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Public health data shows that a significant fraction of the nation’s waterborne disease outbreaks (e.g. Legionnaires’ disease) in drinking water distribution system (DWDS) is attributable to premise plumbing (PP) systems. Very little information is available about the microbial occurrence within the water system of occupational buildings. It is important to understand the characteristics of these systems which amplify the potential public health risk relative to the DWDS. The water quality in PP is not monitored by U.S. EPA regulations except for the Lead and Copper Rule. The purpose of this research is to determine how and why these opportunistic waterborne pathogens can persist within PP systems and how to implement effective water management plans to mitigate exposure risks to PP pathogens.
Description:
The emergence and development of next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) opens new perspectives in microbial ecology studies. NGS technology has the potential to provide information about the underlying mechanisms involved in microbial persistence, identify opportunistic pathogens, and detect virulence- and antimicrobial-associated genes. Many waterborne pathogens colonize and persist in building water systems despite disinfection strategies that aim to mitigate their presence. The current study focused on the microbial community analysis and the characterization of Legionella pneumophila isolates recovered from hot water lines in large occupational buildings. L. pneumophila is a Gram-negative bacterium and is the major causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease. Results show evidence of spatial structuring of the community throughout locations, suggesting that the population is influenced by environmental conditions. Genomic analysis confirmed the presence of two sequence types (STs) and the lpeAB genes encoding a macrolide efflux pump, which confers a reduced sensitivity to azithromycin. Overall, a pangenome approach can provide an ecological insight of the microbial population and the potential risk associated with Legionella.