Hippurate hydrolysis by Legionella pneumophila.

Strains of Legionella pneumophila were shown to hydrolyze sodium hippurate in an overnight test system, but strains of L. bozemanii, L. micdadei, L. dumoffii, and some other organisms similar to the legionellae did not. Although only a small number of strains of legionellae other than L. pneumophila have been classified and tested, the results indicate that the hippurate hydrolysis test may prove useful for differentiating among Legionella species.