{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T19:10:03Z","timestamp":1785265803980,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,26]],"date-time":"2020-09-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1601078400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Despite an increase of literature data on Legionella spp. presence in private water systems, epidemiological reports assert a continuing high incidence of Legionnaires\u2019 disease infection in Italy. In this study, we report a survey on Legionella spp. colonization in 58 buildings with solar thermal systems for hot water production (TB). In all buildings, Legionella spp. presence was enumerated in hot and cold water samples. Microbiological potability standards of cold water were also evaluated. Legionella spp. was detected in 40% of the buildings. Moreover, we detected correlations between the count of Legionella spp. and the presence of the optimal temperature for the microorganism growth (less than 40 \u00b0C). Our results showed that cold water was free from microbiological hazards, but Legionella spp., was detected when the mean cold water temperature was 19.1 \u00b1 2.2 \u00b0C. This may considered close to the suboptimal value for the Legionella growth (more then 20 \u00b0C). In conclusion, we observed the presence of a Legionnaires\u2019 disease risk and the need of some strategies aimed to reduce it, such as the application of training programs for all the workers involved in water systems maintenance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17197050","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,27]],"date-time":"2020-09-27T22:24:42Z","timestamp":1601245482000},"page":"7050","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Evaluation of Legionella spp. Colonization in Residential Buildings Having Solar Thermal System for Hot Water Production"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Michele","family":"Totaro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna Laura","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Frendo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Profeti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3609-4419","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatrice","family":"Casini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Gallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Public Health and Nutrition, Area of Pisa, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8638-2462","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gaetano","family":"Privitera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angelo","family":"Baggiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Research N.T.M.S, University of Pisa, 56123 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2019). Legionnaires\u2019 Disease Annual Epidemiological Report 2017."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2017.08.021","article-title":"Rate of Legionella pneumophila colonization in hospital hot water network after time flow taps installation","volume":"98","author":"Totaro","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Hosp. Infect."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.4236\/jwarp.2019.113014","article-title":"Comparison of anolyte and chlorine dioxide for a continuous hot water disinfection in nursing home: A two years legionnaires\u2019 disease prevention","volume":"11","author":"Totaro","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Water Resour. Prot."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e02956-18","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02956-18","article-title":"Chlorine and monochloramine disinfection of legionella pneumophila colonizing copper and polyvinyl chloride drinking water biofilms","volume":"85","author":"Buse","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022172400063877","article-title":"Aerosol infection of animals with strains of Legionella pneumophila of different virulence: Comparison with intraperitoneal and intranasal routes of infection","volume":"90","author":"Fitzgeorge","year":"1983","journal-title":"J. Hyg. Lond."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Italian National Institute of Health (2019). Rapporto annuale sulla Legionellosi in Italia nel 2018 [Annual Report of Italian Legionnaires\u2019 Disease Cases in 2018."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"718","article-title":"Colonization by Legionella spp. of water networks in residential buildings of the Province of Pisa, Italy","volume":"27","author":"Baggiani","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ann. Ig."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"350","DOI":"10.5152\/balkanmedj.2016.150529","article-title":"Domestically acquired legionnaires\u2019 disease: Two case reports and a review of the pertinent literature","volume":"33","author":"Arslan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Balk. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Totaro, M., Valentini, P., Costa, A.L., Frendo, L., Cappello, A., Casini, B., Miccoli, M., Privitera, G., and Baggiani, A. (2017). Presence of Legionella spp. in hot water networks of different italian residential buildings: A three-year survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 14.","DOI":"10.20944\/preprints201710.0058.v1"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hayes-Phillips, D., Bentham, R., Ross, K., and Whiley, H. (2019). Factors influencing legionella contamination of domestic household showers. Pathogen, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens8010027"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4528","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.8b03000","article-title":"Risk-Based critical concentrations of legionella pneumophila for indoor residential water uses","volume":"53","author":"Hamilton","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"The Council of the European Union (1998). Council Directive 98\/83\/EC of 3 November 1998 on the Quality of Water. Intended for Human Consumption."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Italian National Institute of Health (2015). Linee Guida per la Prevenzione ed il Controllo della Legionellosi [Guidelines for Legionnaires\u2019 Disease Prevention and Control."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"International Organization for Standardization (2017). ISO 11731 Water Quality\u2014Detection and Enumeration of Legionella, International Organization for Standardization."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"402","DOI":"10.2166\/wh.2017.296","article-title":"Occurrence of Legionella in showers at recreational facilities","volume":"15","author":"Mozzetti","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Water Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2364","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dib.2018.07.026","article-title":"Data on Legionella prevalence and water quality in showers of retirement homes and group homes in the Province of Rome, Lazio Region, Italy","volume":"19","author":"Mozzetti","year":"2018","journal-title":"Data Brief"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2018.06.216","article-title":"Prevalence of Legionella in retirement homes and group homes water distribution systems","volume":"643","author":"Mozzetti","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6702a5","article-title":"Notes from the field: Legionellosis outbreak associated with a hotel aquatics facility-tennessee, 2017","volume":"67","author":"Yackley","year":"2018","journal-title":"MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2010.09.012","article-title":"Effectiveness of different methods to control legionella in the water supply: Ten-year experience in an Italian university hospital","volume":"77","author":"Marchesi","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Hosp. Infect."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kyritsi, M.A., Mouchtouri, V.A., Katsioulis, A., Kostara, E., Nakoulas, V., Hatzinikou, M., and Hadjichristodoulou, C. (2018). Legionella colonization of hotel water systems in touristic places of greece: Association with system characteristics and physicochemical parameters. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph15122707"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"761","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajic.2018.12.005","article-title":"Controlling Legionella pneumophila in water systems at reduced hot water temperatures with copper and silver ionization","volume":"47","author":"Barbosa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am. J. Infect. Control."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Whiley, H., Bentham, R., and Brown, M.H. (2017). Legionella Persistence in manufactured water systems: Pasteurization potentially selecting for thermal tolerance. Front. Microbiol.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2017.01330"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1086\/675280","article-title":"Long-term effects of hospital water network disinfection on Legionella and other waterborne bacteria in an Italian university hospital","volume":"35","author":"Casini","year":"2014","journal-title":"Infect. Control. Hosp. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2017.09.006","article-title":"Detection of viable but non-culturable legionella in hospital water network following monochloramine disinfection","volume":"98","author":"Casini","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Hosp. Infect."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Totaro, M., Mariotti, T., Bisordi, C., De Vita, E., Valentini, P., Costa, A.L., Casini, B., Privitera, G., and Baggiani, A. (2020). Evaluation of Legionella pneumophila decrease in hot water network of four hospital buildings after installation of electron time flow taps. Water, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/w12010210"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/19\/7050\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T10:14:00Z","timestamp":1760177640000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/19\/7050"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,26]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,10]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph17197050"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph17197050","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,26]]}}}