National Reference Laboratory for Legionella - Norway
The department of medical microbiology at Stavanger University hospital, Norway hosts the National Reference Laboratory for Legionella. We offer reference diagnostics and source investigation and outbreak analyses related to Legionnaire’s disease.
- Reference diagnostics
- Identification and typing of Legionella in diagnostics, source investigation and research
- National biobank for Legionella isolates (clinical and environmental) and other reference materials
- Surveillance, preparedness and response in case of outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease
- Scientific advice and support
- Collaboration and research
- Isolation by culture and identification of Legionella from patient sample; urinary antigen test, PCR and serology (In-house patients mainly, other hospitals by appointment)
- Species identification of Legionella isolates (MALDI-TOF and whole genome sequencing)
- Serotyping of Legionella pneumophila isolates (agglutination)
- Sequence-based typing of Legionella pneumophila isolates (whole genome sequencing)
- Monoclonal subtyping of Legionella pneumophila isolates (Dresden-panel)
- Source investigation and outbreaks analyses
- The Norwegian Reference Laboratory for Legionella works closely together with the epidemiologists at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) regarding source- and outbreaks investigations.
- The Reference Laboratory is the ECDC nominated national Operational Contact Point (OCP) for microbiology for Legionnaires’ disease and participates in the European Legionnaires' Disease Surveillance Network (ELDSNet)
- The Reference Laboratory managers are members of the ESCMID Study Group for Legionella Infections (ESGLI)
The Reference Laboratory is involved in Legionella research and is interested to collaborate and participate in international research projects.
We participate in both national and international conferences
Research publications and presentations
Poster: Nanopore sequencing as a solution to the mompS challenge in L. pneumophila SBT from short-read data (2022). Krøvel, A.V, Bernhoff, E., Soma, M.A., Hetland, M.A.K., Romstad, M.R. and Löhr, I.H. The 10th International conference on Legionella, Japan, September 20-24.
Susceptibility of Legionella pneumophila to antimicrobial agents and the presence of the efflux pump LpeAB (2019). Natås, O.B., Brekken, A.L., Bernhoff, E., Hetland, M.A.K., Löhr, I.H and Lindemann, P.C. J Antimicrob Chemother. Jun 1;74(6):1545-1550.
doi: 10.1093/jac/dkz081.
Poster: Legionella pneumophila in municipal shower systems in Stavanger, Norway; a longitudinal study of incidences and types (2015). Krøvel A.V., Bernhoff, E., Rangnes, K and Natås, O.B. 3rd ESGLI meeting, London, UK, September 16-17th.