Legionella pneumophila contamination of hospital dishwashers

In a tertiary hospital, Legionella spp were isolated from taps and from ward dishwashers connected to contaminated tap piping. Our investigation revealed favorable conditions for growth of Legionella , and showed that Legionella pneumophila SG6 isolates from the taps and dishwashers were all genetically identical by repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that contaminated dishwashers might be a potential reservoir for the spread of Legionella in health care facilities.