Genomic diversity of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 from environmental water sources and clinical specimens using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) from 1985 to 2007, Korea

The molecular typing of 202 Legionella pneumophila sg 1 isolates obtained from environmental water sources and clinical specimens from 1985 to 2007 was conducted using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In this study, a total of 212 isolates were grouped into 35 different PFGE types and Type 1 was the predominant type, accounting for 28.7% in PFGE types. Type 1 and Type 8 were observed continuously from 1985 to 2007. In the analysis of the distribution of PFGE types in six geographic regions (Seoul-Incheon, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju), Type 1 was predominant throughout four regions except for Jeolla and Jeju, and Type 6 was observed in four regions except two regions (Gangwon and Jeju). Six clinical isolates belonged to PFGE Type 1, Type 6, Type 9, and Type 15. Type 1 among these types, was isolated from 3 patients with confirmed nosocomial infection at the hospital and Type 6, Type 9, and Type 15 were isolated 3 patients with suspected community-acquired infection. Type R, PFGE pattern of L. pneumophila sg 1 (ATCC 33152, Philadelphia-1), was not observed in the isolates evaluated in this study. Therefore, our results suggest that PFGE Type 1 was very prevalent in the environmental and clinical isolates in Korea. Type 1 was distributed continuously for many years throughout Korea.