GTS Legionella Water Testing Lab

For 33 years GTS has been testing for Legionella in water samples from cooling towers, potable and environmental water sources. GTS began commercial Legionella testing when the CDC referred clients to us for environmental water Legionella testing in the early 1980's.

GTS Legionella Laboratory
RICHARD W GILPIN PHD LTD
Email gilpin@legionella.com
Cellphone (410) 961-6638

Legionella facts

Our CDC quantitative test method was developed by our certified microbiologist laboratory director during research collaboration with CDC in 1979 and was published in Water Research 1985 and Proceedings of the 49th International Water Conference, Pittsburgh, PA in October 1988 "Quantitation of Legionella pneumophila in One Thousand Commercial and Industrial Cooling Towers."

Will I get GTS' test results back quicker?
Yes. GTS' test results come back faster: DFA results in a few days; Culture results in 10 to 14 days with confirmation by DFA.

GTS' test method produces quantitative results with environmental samples that are 10-fold to 100-fold more sensitive than the culture method (assuming the culture procedure is properly performed and validated by DFA).

Will I have more confidence in GTS' test reports?
Yes. GTS' direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) tests use a battery of monoclonal antibodies with proven reliability and sensitivity for identifying Legionella in environmental water samples.

GTS' tests also identify non-culturable Legionella that have caused outbreaks. Non-culturable, viable Legionella have been reported in several peer-reviewed journals, for example, Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica 113:45-53, 2005. Only DFA tests performed by trained laboratory personnel can identify these Legionella.

GTS test reports provide quantitative numbers of Legionella clinically associated with Legionnaires' Disease including 14 serogroups of Legionella pneumophila and 15 other Legionella species (L. anisa, L. bozemanii sg 1 & 2, L. dumoffi, L. feeleii sg 1 & 2, L. gormanii, L. hackeliae sg 1 & 2, L. jordanis, L. longbeachae sg ! & 2, L. maceachernii, L. micdadei, L. oakridgensis, L. parisiensis, L. sainthelensi, L. santicrucis, and L. wadsworthii).

Legionella facts >>  

Have you ever wondered why the source of Legionella is never found during recent outbreaks such as Edinburgh Scotland June 2012 and Quebec City Canada August 2012? It is because the Legionella culture method is not reliable when other microorganisms are present, especially in cooling towers. The UK and some other countries estimate the numbers of Legionella in water systems using total bacterial counts. We have found this to be a very poor predictor.