Invitrogen launches new legionella test

USA-based Invitrogen has launched its Dynabeads MAX Legionella, which enables a unique process for targeting and concentrating legionella from environmental water samples. According to the firm, the product provides a rapid and highly reliable sample preparation process, improving the method used and result achieved for the detection and quantification of legionella.

Several strains of this bacterium, most notably Legionella pneumophila, can cause sickness and death in humans. An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people are diagnosed with legionellosis in the USA each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the US firm, the new test uses magnetic Dynabeads with antibodies that attach to legionella and selectively isolate and concentrate the bacterium from the sample, eliminating contaminating microorganisms. "By quickly and reliably isolating only the legionella organism, Dynabeads MAX Legionella streamlines the procedures for legionella surveillance and has the potential to change the market," said Jim Janicki, vice president of Invitrogen's Applied Markets.