Unravelling the Genomic and Virulence Diversity of <i>Legionella pneumophila</i> Strains Isolated from Anthropogenic Water Systems.

ABSTRACT: Legionella pneumophila, a waterborne pathogen naturally present in freshwater and capable of colonizing artificial water systems, is responsible for Legionnaires' disease (LD), a severe form of pneumonia transmitted through inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Virulence of Legionella strains is affected by the plasticity of their genome, shaped by horizontal gene transfer and recombination events. Thus, contaminated water systems can host diverse Legionella populations with a distinct virulence potential. Here, we compare the genomic diversity of Legionella pneumophila strains isolated in water systems of academic buildings, together with their cytotoxicity and intracellular replication in THP-1-like macrophages. A six-year environmental surveillance reve

SUBMITTER: Barigelli S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736363 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature