Appl Environ Microbiol.2002 Dec;68(12):6466-70.

Enumeration of Legionella CFU by colony hybridization using specific DNA probes.

Satoh W, Nakata M, Yamamoto H, Ezaki T, Hiramatsu K.

Technology and Development Laboratory, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Kanagawa 243-0124, Japan.

Oligonucleotide probes and colony hybridization (CH) were applied to enumerate organisms of the genus Legionella in cooling tower water. The CH counts indicated almost the same results as CFU counts in cultivated samples derived from the water. It was concluded that it is possible to substitute the CH procedure for the conventional one.