Pseudomonas and others

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative aerobic and non-fermenting bacterium with wide presence in the environment. It can be found in soil, running water, water installations and any other humid environments. Opposite to Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa has low nutrient requirements and therefore easily grows under nutrient depriving conditions like destilled water. It often colonises water systems and water installation parts like tap outlets, thermostatic mixing valves, showerheads, shower hoses, and point-of-entry treatment systems like filtration, reverse osmosis systems, expansion vessels and more. As it grows better under satisfactory oxygen concentration, it tends to colonise water installations peripherally, however, a systemic colonisation cannot be excluded.

Additionally, Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a good capability of developing antimicrobial resistances, thus causing severe nosocomial infections of the lungs, urinary tract, skin and other areas of the body. Similar to Legionella, immunocompromised patients are more susceptible to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections compared to healthy individuals.

As Pseudomonas aeruginosa has different features to Legionella, the elimination of a water system contamination with this microorganism requires a different engineering approach and deep microbial and hygiene understanding.

The Hygiene Inspection Body offers a multidisciplinary team approach to building owners and managers covering technical and hospital hygiene from the engineering, hygiene and microbiological angle, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Contact us here for further information.