In a tertiary hospital, Legionella spp were isolated from taps and from ward dishwashers connected to contaminated tap piping. Our investigation revealed favorable conditions for growth of Legionella, and showed that Legionella pneumophila SG6 isolates from the taps and dishwashers were all genetically identical by repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that contaminated dishwashers might be a potential reservoir for the spread of Legionella in health care facilities.
Keywords: Infection control; Reservoir; Tap water.
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