Quantitative and certified 1-hour Legionella test

A just 1-hour quantitative (60-1,000,000 cfu/l) and certified Legionella test is one of the more than 140 parameters the PrimeLab has to offer.

Whilst common methods (culture) need 10 to 14 days to show a result, the LEGIPID test on PrimeLab uses immune-magnetic bits, exctracting living Legionella spp. only.

One out of 140 parameters of the PrimeLab Photometer

Legionella are bacteria in water which are harmful when inhaled. In aerosols generated by a shower head of a hospital or a hotel, in a car wash, industrial cooling systems, hot tubs, splashpool- attractions or fountains there might be water droplets brimming with bacteria. Legionella bacteria can travel huge distances of many kilometers. Once inhaled, pneumonia will develop in our lungs in just a few days with a mortality rate of 5% to 30% (average 12%-15%).

The established and required method to test legionella is “culture” which means, that 1 litre of water is filtered to catch bacteria on filter, filter is dipped on an agar plate and agar plate is incubated for 14 days to let legionella grow which is needed to see and count them. The result is expressed as “cfu/l” which is “colony forming units per liter”.

The major disadvantage is the waiting time of 2 weeks until a result is visible and known. A dangerous situation for the public as well as a financial disaster for e.g. a hotel or a hospital which has to (partly) close.

There are rapid test methods for legionella on the market but none like LEGIPID on PrimeLab. LEGIPID is the only 1-hour legionella test which gives a quantitative (60 – 1,000,000 cfu/l) and reliable/certified result of living legionella. How does it work? The answer is quite simple: LEGIPID does not require the legionella to grow to be visible but detects the present legionella by attaching them to a magnetic micro-particle, covered with antigens. In a later step, a colour tracer, again combined with antigens, makes the prior catched legionella visible to be read in PrimeLab.

The well-known independent AOAC institute certified LEGIPID. Major laboratories, such as EMlabs in USA and customers around the globe, such as CCL (Carnival Cruise lines) are amazed by the accuracy and speed of LEGIPID on PrimeLab.

More info to be found under primelab as well as biotica.