Legionella Culture
Use
Culturing Legionella species from respiratory or lung specimens supports definitive diagnosis of legionellosis (Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever) and guides antimicrobial therapy and epidemiologic investigation.
Special Instructions
Send specimen refrigerated on cold packs to Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (Chantilly) as a referral lab. Perform collection Sunday through Thursday (setup frequency).
Limitations
Culture may take 7–10 days excluding weekends and holidays. Sensitivity may be lower than molecular methods; negative culture does not rule out infection.
New York Approved
Methodology
Culture-based
Biomarkers
LOINC Codes
- 31208-2
- 593-4
Result Turnaround Time
7-10 days
Related Documents
For more information, please review the documents below
Specimen
Tissue (Fresh)
Volume
Not provided
Minimum Volume
Not provided
Container
Sterile Container
Collection Instructions
For tissue: add a small amount of sterile, non‑bacteriostatic, distilled water to prevent drying; do not add saline.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate; transport refrigerated on cold packs.
Causes for Rejection
Room temperature specimens, frozen specimens, specimens in M4
Stability Requirements
| Temperature | Period |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 7 days |
Other tests from different labs that may be relevant