Meet The Microbiologist - The Scientists Behind The Microbiology

Why do Legionnaire’s Disease outbreaks occur mostly in the summer? What is the connection of the Flint change in water source and Legionella outbreaks in the area? Michele Swanson discusses her work on Legionella pneumophila and her path from busy undergraduate to ASM President. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne microbe that lives in fresh water and can colonize water systems of the built environment. Colonization of cooling systems, like those used in air conditioning systems, can lead to contaminated water droplets that can cause disease. Legionella are very adaptable to different environment, but scientists don’t have great models to determine the exact preferences of the bacterium. After Flint switched water sources from lake to the Flint river, a chemical that prevents corrosion was omitted from the water treatment. This led to lead in the water, which was detected in pediatric patients. An increase of legionella cases in the two years also occurred, and the question was w