Effective proliferation of low level Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 cells using coculture procedure with Acanthamoeba castellanii.

The multiplications of low level Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 cells by the coculture procedure with Acanthamoeba castellanii were tested in five strains. The cells in all strains proliferated effectively for isolating. This procedure might be a useful means of improving the successful isolation from environmental and clinical specimens of low level Legionella cells, and pursuing the source of infection.