First rapid, onsite testing kit for Legionella introduced

Hydrosense are pioneers in the Legionella testing industry. Their scientists have recently developed a new on-site testing method for deadly Legionella pneumophila SG 1 bacteria in water and biofilm.

The Hydrosense test is immediate, simple and accurate; facilitating insights into the condition of any water system in just 25 minutes. There is no need for the transportation of sample,s so the risk of samples being damaged en route is eliminated.

Incidences of Legionnaires’ disease are increasing globally and conventional lab-based methods for Legionella testing are time consuming and often inaccurate, 2 factors that put lives at risk. By minimising the time taken to identify Legionella bacteria, the Hydrosense test will reduce public health risk and help to save lives. In conjunction with periodic lab culture testing, or as a stand-alone method, this rapid and user-friendly test will help any organisation to maintain vigilant control over their water system quality. This testing method also securely stores test results for audit with Hydrosense’s innovative smartphone reader and portal.

Alternative methods of detection, such as lab culture, often achieve dangerously low recovery rates. Even the latest ISO standard document states recovery rates of only “>64%” for lab culture testing, which means that this method has up to 34% inaccuracy. Additionally, the Hydrosense test will detect viable, but non-culturable, forms of the bacteria which can infect human lung cells but will never be detected by lab culture methods.

Warren Buffett once said, ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it’. Hydrosense’s real time water testing helps to keep organisations safe from outbreaks and the reputational damage and revenue impacts that come with them. Their simple test facilitates earlier calls to action, while engineers are still on-site, and gives assurance that a high standard of service has been achieved, thus improving long-term customer value for facility management (FM) companies.