Determination of antibiotic resistance by using culture, polymerase chain reaction and latex agglutination tests for investigation of the presence of legionella species in water samples sent from van and surrounding provinces inpatient treatment institutions to public health laboratory affiliated to van provincial health directorate.

Legionella pneumophila is an important bacterium for public health due to its ubiquity in natural aquatic environments worldwide and its ability to cause serious pneumonia and other infections. The most common mode of transmission of Legionella is by inhalation of aerosols produced from contaminated water, but infection can also occur by aspiration of contaminated water. People who smoke, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, chronic metabolic or lung diseases are particularly susceptible to infection. Hospital water distribution systems (WDSs) are more complex than residential water systems and are more likely to be colonized with Legionella. In this study, it was aimed to type a total of 55 L. pneumophila strains isolated in hospital water systems by latex agglutination method, and to determine the antibiotic resistance of erythromycin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, doxycycline and rifampicin against isolated strains. Sowing was carried out according to the way the water samples were taken, and incubated in an oven at 37 °C. Colonies grown on BCYE medium were inoculated on blood agar medium and colonies that did not grow after 24 hours of incubation were typified by latex agglutination test, considering possible Legionella colony. Antibiogram was done by disk diffusion method and the presence of mip gene was investigated by Real Time PCR method. L.pneumopila was isolated in 55 of a total of 482 water samples. Of the samples taken, 407 are from the tap shower head and 75 from the water tank. Of 407 samples, 2 were isolated as L.pneumophila SG1, 51 as SG 2-15. Of 75 samples, 2 were found to be SG 2-14. 32 resistance to erythromycin, 30 to azithromycin, 4 to ciprofloxacin, 5 to ofloxacin, 5 to levofloxacin, 26 to levofloxacin, 26 to doxycycline, 29 to rifampicin, 28 to SXT were detected from 55 samples by disk diffusion method. As a result, routine control measures must be taken in hospitals because L. pneumophila is a lethal bacterium that causes mortality and is transmitted by respiratory tract and is especially found in hospital environments. At this point, it is important to clean the water installations at regular intervals.