Research

A selection of links to recent research papers available online and may be free to access. 

The conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the WMSoc.

Legionella detection and enumeration in water samples by ISO 11731-2017: which method is the most sensitive?

Grandbastien B, Mauffrey F, Greub G, Blanc DS. Appl Environ Microbiol 91:e01147-25. Highlights: ISO 11731:2017 covers culture-based methods for Legionella detection in water using a matrix of tests and advises considering the least favourable outcome. This study evaluated six techniques from the matrix, applied to 276 hospital hot water samples. Legionella was detected in 120 samples, with substantial variability across methods. The most sensitive… Read more »

Comparison between Legiolert and real time PCR in the detection of Legionella pneumophila from environmental water samples

Arrigo I, Serra N, Mariyam L, Sarvandani MM, Tricoli MR, et al. PLOS ONE 20(12): e0336207. Highlights: 75 environmental water samples, collected in 2 separate bottles, were analysed in parallel using culture according to ISO 11731:1998 (concentration, membrane filtration and heat treatment in parallel with a direct inoculation of the concentrated treated sample (100 μL) and non-treated sample into GVPC… Read more »

Sink area contamination during hand washing

Bailey C, Makison-Booth C, Nicholls G. HSE RR1225 (2025) Research Report Highlights: This study aimed to identify whether the distribution of the splash around the sink area, after a common handwashing method, differed when compared with that seen when the handwashing method was modified. The sink area was split into areas and a presence or… Read more »

Use of continuous remote sensor water temperature monitoring to rationalize provision of clinical handwash basins in an ICU with water safety issues

Snell LB, Hussein A, Abadioru O, Dibbens M, Whitehorn J, Nichols R, May L, Coates S, Barrett NA, Winteridge H, Otter JA, Goldenberg SD. J Hosp Infect. 2025 Nov;165:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2025.07.021. Epub 2025 Aug 11. PMID: 40803379. Highlights: Manual measurement of water temperatures is labour intensive and does not provide a comprehensive overview of the… Read more »

Unveiling a Hidden Threat: Whole Genome Sequencing Exposes the Cross-Hospital Spread of Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Kamau E, Jones B, Kitjawat T, Youn H, Schweikert M, Caldwell A, Harens C, Kiernan P, Velasco J, Lebreton F, Copeland N. Front. Microbiol. Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease. Provisionally accepted. Highlights: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 10 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) aeruginosa isolates to investigate potential healthcare-associated transmission within a U.S. military treatment… Read more »

Long-term impacts of free chlorine and monochloramine on the development of drinking water biofilm

Chen L, Shi H, Medema G, van der Meer W, Liu G. Water Research, 281, 2025, 123566. Highlights: There is limited understanding of long-term and dynamic effects of free chlorine (FC) and monochloramine (MC) on biofilm development. A 56-week study was conducted to assess biofilm development under different disinfection regimes: no chlorine (NC), FC (0.1… Read more »

Legionella sheltonii sp. nov., a novel species isolated on a cruise ship during routine monitoring.

Sauerborn Klobucar R, Kovačević M, Svetlicic E, et al. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2025 Jul;75(7) Highlights: Legionella-like isolates, were isolated from a cold-water distribution system on a cruise ship in 2017. Colonies displayed phenotypic characteristics typical of the family Legionellaceae, including a requirement for l-cysteine and testing catalase positive. The bacteria were Gram-negative,… Read more »

Impact of flushing procedures on drinking water biostability and invasion susceptibility in distribution systems.

Waegenaar F, Pluym T, Vermeulen E, De Gusseme B, Boon N. 2025. Appl Environ Microbiol 91:e00686-25. Highlights: This study used a pilot-scale drinking water distribution system with three identical polyvinyl chloride(PVC) loops to assess the impact of flushing with and without chlorination. Loop 1 was flushed with tap water and sodium hypochlorite, followed by two non-chlorinated flushes Loop 2 was unflushed Loop 3 underwent three flushes The… Read more »

Disinfectant and antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium abscessus water isolates.

Patterson-Fahy K, Carter R, Taylor SL, Guo J, Thomson RM. 2025 Microbiol Spectr 13:e03374-24. Highlights: Mycobacterium abscessus is present in drinking water distribution systems where it is exposed to chlorine and chloramine. M. abscessus drinking water isolates were highly resistant to both chlorine and chloramine, with significant differences within the M. abscessus group. A laboratory evolution experiment induced chlorine resistance, and exposure to chloramine resulted in decreased antibiotic… Read more »

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium: Background document for the WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality

World Health Organization 2025. https://doi.org/10.2471/B09259. Highlights: There is moderate evidence for transmission of non-tuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) from drinking-water systems in buildings and devices supplied with drinking-water. Most cases associated with water are sporadic, but a number of outbreaks have been reported in healthcare facilities, associated with a single facility or a specific procedure. The atypical or… Read more »

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