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Nosocomial legionellosis, usually caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LPS1), is acquired by inhaling aerosol from contaminated hospital water-delivery systems. Detecting nosocomial legionellosis can be difficult, but whole-genome sequencing (WGS) yields detailed genetic analysis of both patient and environmental strains, allowing for assessment of transmission events.
In 2013, two patients were diagnosed with nosocomial legionellosis in an Australian hospital. Another patient was found to have a positive culture from bronchoscopy in 2011. Fifteen of 85 subsequent samples (18%) from the hospital's water-delivery system grew LPS1. WGS was performed on 46 LPS1 isolates, including four clinical samples. The patient isolate from 2011 wa…