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Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic> is one of the most frequent <jats:italic>Legionella<\/jats:italic> species isolated from natural pools of the central region of Spain. This study aimed to evaluate its ecology and to identify this <jats:italic>Legionella<\/jats:italic> species as a respiratory pathogen. A PCR assay for detecting the <jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic> mip gene was developed to identify it in clinical and environmental samples. Culture and PCR were performed in environmental samples from four drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Free <jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic> was only detected in raw water samples (3.4%), while <jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic> as an <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> endosymbiont was found in 30.7% of raw water, 11.5% of decanter biofilm, and 32% of finished water samples. Therefore, <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> spp. plays an essential role in the multiplication, persistence, and spread of <jats:italic>Legionella<\/jats:italic> species in the environment. The first case of Legionnaires\u2019 disease caused by <jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic> in Spain is described in this study. The case was diagnosed in an older woman through PCR and sequencing from urine and sputum samples. A respiratory infection could be linked with health care procedures, and the patient presented several risk factors (age, insulin-dependent diabetes, and heart disease). The detection of non-<jats:italic>L<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumophila<\/jats:italic>, such as <jats:italic>L. feeleii<\/jats:italic>, is a factor that must be considered when establishing or reviewing measures for the control and prevention of legionellosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2021.707187","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,3]],"date-time":"2021-08-03T07:44:13Z","timestamp":1627976653000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Legionella feeleii: Ubiquitous Pathogen in the Environment and Causative Agent of Pneumonia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Lucianna","family":"Vaccaro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thiago Santos","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fernando","family":"Izquierdo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Angela","family":"Magnet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sergio","family":"Llorens Berzosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dolores","family":"Ollero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Santiago","family":"Salso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Almudena","family":"Alhambra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"G\u00f3mez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"L\u00f3pez Cano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"Pelaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Beatriz","family":"Bellido Samaniego","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"del Aguila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Soledad","family":"Fenoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carolina","family":"Hurtado-Marcos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.02675-2615","article-title":"Diagnostic accuracy of PCR alone and compared to urinary antigen testing for detection of Legionella spp.: a systematic review.","volume":"54","author":"Avni","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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