Rapid detection and comparative genome analysis of Legionella pneumophila sg1 ST47

Legionella pneumophila serogroup (sg) 1, sequence type (ST) 47 is a major cause of Legionnaires' disease in North West Europe. Interestingly, this ST is rarely isolated from commonly expected environmental sources of L. pneumophila. In order to develop a rapid, real-time PCR assay for ST47, we analysed a large collection of diverse L. pneumophila genomes which included those belonging to ST47 and other closely related STs. This allowed the determination and validation of a gene target, and also provided further insights into the evolutionary events that have formed this important disease-associated clone.