Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital water systems in Victoria.

A survey of water symptoms in 12 Victorian hospitals was undertaken to establish the prevalence of Legionella pneumophila in buildings not known to be associated with cases of Legionnaires' disease. Samples of hot, cold and shower water were taken, together with water from cooling towers, and isolation was attempted by guinea-pig inoculation. Legionella pneumophila was not isolated from any of the hot, cold or shower samples, but six strains were isolated from five of the cooling towers sampled.