Why SPL?

Reliable. Renowned. Results.

We set the industry standard for Legionella control and prevention. Our multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts in microbiology, engineering, infectious disease, public health, and communication deliver reliable results, outbreak prevention, and help you mitigate liability. Led by Dr. Janet E. Stout, world-renowned pioneer and expert in Legionnaires’ disease prevention, we provide Total Legionella Control, an integrated platform of evidence-based solutions so you can comply with ASHRAE 188, CMS and regulations so together we can end Legionnaires’ disease.

Ensuring Your Reputation and Your Water Are Protected

The ultimate risk is to an organization is its reputation. Just one case of Legionnaires’ disease or an outbreak is all it takes to destroy years of brand equity and confidence. Protecting your water from Legionella contamination is a critical factor to your future success. Risking your reputation based on claims of speed or less accurate methods of detection is neither good public health policy nor business strategy. You can rely on Special Pathogens Laboratory for Legionella expertise, a validated evidence-based strategy to prevent outbreaks, and our collaborative multidisciplinary team.

Validated Prevention Strategy

As a trusted resource for prevention and remediation for more than 30 years, you can rely on us for the only validated strategy proven to prevent cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Adopted by the first Legionella guideline in the United States (1993), we showed that proactive environmental monitoring was the key to prevention—early detection and diagnosis saves lives. Our approach is a national and international model for prevention in numerous countries, states, health and professional organizations, and New York State and City regulations.

Benefits

Accurate Detection 

The challenge in detection is more than just finding levels of Legionella in your water. You need accurate testing and results plus informed interpretation for the risk of disease. Our testing methods are published in peer-reviewed journals and exceed national industry and international standards for accuracy required for reliable results and analysis.

Outbreak Prevention 

Our interdisciplinary team provides unmatched knowledge and experience with Legionella in building water systems, including water supply technology to identify causes of risk and provide immediate and long-term remedies.

Liability Mitigation 

Outbreaks are a major threat to your organization’s reputation and liability insurance. Our ZEROutbreak strategy gives you science-based assurance that your testing and water management program is designed to meet regulatory compliance and prevent outbreaks.

ZEROutbreak Principles

• Knowledge empowers you to respond not react; Learn as much as you can about Legionella in water systems
• Routine environmental monitoring is the key to prevention
• Test to protect before cases occur because early detection and early diagnosis saves lives
• Take action when 30% of potable water system outlets are colonized
• Get answers to your challenges: Consult The Legionella Experts®
• Conduct a facility risk assessment
• Implement an ASHRAE 188 water safety and management plan
• Review your plan annually; update as needed
• Test quarterly to validate the plan is working

30% Cut-point: Concentration vs Colonization

The use of percent positivity as a risk threshold was first adopted in Pennsylvania by the Allegheny County Health Department in their 1993 Legionella prevention guideline. This approach was implemented by the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in the 2008 directive and by others nationally and internationally. New York State regulations also include the 30% cut point. The locations and method of sample collection is critical, consult a microbiologist knowledgeable in Legionella monitoring before collecting samples.

The concentration of Legionella recovered from a given water outlet (quantitation as CFU/mL) hasn’t correlated with incidence of disease (Kool-1999). Risk of Legionella infections increases as the extent of colonization increases (i.e., a high percentage of water outlets yield Legionella). In two studies, Legionnaires’ disease did not occur unless 30% or more of water outlets were positive with L. pneumophila (Kool-1999, Stout-2007