Legionella in Water Systems on Ferries and Cruise Ships
Author Information
Author(s): Goutziana Georgia, Mouchtouri Varvara A, Karanika Maria, Kavagias Antonios, Stathakis Nikolaos E, Gourgoulianis Kostantinos, Kremastinou Jenny, Hadjichristodoulou Christos
Primary Institution: University of Thessaly
Hypothesis
What are the risk factors for Legionella spp. colonization in water systems on ferries and cruise ships?
Conclusion
Water distribution systems of ferries can be heavily colonized by Legionella spp. and may present a risk of Legionnaires' disease for passengers and crew members.
Supporting Evidence
- 66.7% of ferries' water distribution systems were positive for Legionella spp.
- Hot water samples from ferries showed a Legionella spp. count ≥500 CFU/L in at least one sample.
- Free chlorine of ≥0.2 mg/L inhibited colonization of Legionella spp.
Takeaway
Ferries can have a lot of germs called Legionella in their water systems, which can make people sick. It's important to keep the water clean and safe.
Methodology
Water systems of 21 ferries and 10 cruise ships were tested for Legionella spp. using microbiological analysis.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the limited number of ferries examined and the short duration of passenger exposure.
Limitations
The study was limited by the short stay period of passengers on ferries, which made it difficult to link infections directly to the water systems.
Participant Demographics
Passengers and crew members of ferries and cruise ships.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0004
Confidence Interval
IQR = 41.60–55.95
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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