Legionella pneumophila

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Legionella pneumophila
Legionella pneumophila.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Gamma Proteobacteria
Order: Legionellales
Family: Legionellacease
Genus: Legionella
Species: L. pneumophila
Binomial name
Legionella pneumophila


Description and significance

Legionella pneumophila is a rod shaped, flagellated and a gram negative bacteria. L. pneumophila are aerobic and non-capsulated. It is known to be pathogenic to humans and leads to legionellosis or legionnaires’ disease. This species is determined to be the dominant human pathogen in its genus of 41 different species . It was first found to be pathogenic in 1976 when a group of men were found to be infected. It spread to more than 200 individuals and led to 34 casualties. It was first isolated by inoculation of a guinea pig with the blood sample of an infected person in 1947.


Genome structure

There are three genomes from the species L. pneumophila that have been studied well. These are Legionella pneumophila str. Paris, Legionella pneumophila str. Lens and Legionella pneumophila ssp. Pneumophila str. Philadelphia 1. All three of these genomes have been completed recently between 2001 and 2004.

Name Genes Base Pairs Year
Legionella pneumophila str. Paris 3136 3,503,610 2004
Legionella pneumophila str. Lens 3001 3,345,687 2004
Legionella pneumophila ssp. Pneumophila str. Philadelphia 1 3002 3,397,754 2001


Cell structure and metabolism

Ecology

In general L. pneumophila can be found in aquatic environments worldwide.

Pathology

There are 41 different species in the genus Legionella and these are further divided into 64 serogroups. The serogroups 1, 4, and 6 are responsible for most human infections of legionnaires’ disease. Serogroup 1 is determined to be the cause of 70-90% of such infections.

Year Male Female Total
1999 42 14 56
2000 125 29 154
2001 78 8 86
2002 139 29 167
2003 127 20 147
2004 151 9 160
2005 252 29 281
2006 452 66 518
2007 527 141 668
2008 529 157 686

Application to Biotechnology

Current Research

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