Test Detail

Legionella Culture Panel (includes DFA)

Panel Components
Test Description		Contact: Reference Microbiology (319) 335-4335 Test Request Form: Bacteriology SHL OpenELIS Code: 647, 646
Bacterial culture and identification of Legionella pneumophila. Test also includes a DFA smear for Legionella serogroups 1-15.
Legionella Bacterial Culture and DFA Smear
Reflex Test(s)
Legionella Multiplex by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Performed	Avg. Turnaround Time	Method
Coralville, M - F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - noon	7 - 10 business days	Bacterial Culture, Direct Immunofluorescence Assay (DFA)
Fee	CPT Code(s)
$34.07	87081, 87278
Specimen Requirements
Specimen Type:	Sputum, Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), Tracheal aspirates, Bronchoscopy specimens, Tissue specimens (e.g., Lung Biopsy)
Collection Instructions:	Collect specimen in a sterile container. The same two patient identifiers are required on the Bacteriology Test Request Form and the specimen. Preferred identifiers are patient name (first and last) and date of birth. Sputum: Patient should rinse their mouth with water prior to collection. Instruct the patient not to spit out saliva or postnasal discharge into container. Collect specimen resulting from deep cough (expectorate) in sterile screw-cap container. Satisfactory quality implies the presence of mucoid or mucopurulent material and is of greater significance than volume. Ideally, a sputum specimen should have a volume of 3-5 mL, although smaller quantities are acceptable. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL): Collect fluid into a sterile container. Minimum volume of 3 mL. Tracheal aspirates: Minimum volume of 3 mL. Bronchoscopy specimens: Minimum volume of 3 mL. Tissue specimens (e.g., Lung Biopsy): Transfer a pea-size fragment of the lung into the container and add a small amount of sterile, non-bacteriostatic distilled water to prevent desiccation. DO NOT ADD SALINE, as it may be inhibitory. For consultation on specimen types not listed here, or any other questions, call 319-335-4335.
Shipping:
Specimens should be stored and shipped under the same conditions. Wrap specimen container in absorbent material and place inside a biohazard bag. Ship overnight (avoid Fridays, weekends, and holidays) within 24 hours of collection. Ship with frozen ice packs. If a sample will not arrive at the State Hygienic Laboratory within 24 hours, it should be frozen at -70°C and shipped on dry ice. Ship to the Coralville location.
Temperature and Stability:	Refrigerated (2-8°C); stable for 24 hours. Samples received after 24 hours of collection will still be accepted, however, the final report will indicate that samples were received outside of acceptable limits. If a sample will not arrive at the State Hygienic Laboratory within 24 hours, it should be frozen at -70°C and shipped on dry ice.
Rejection Criteria:	Specimens will be rejected if received under these conditions: Unacceptable specimen/isolate types include leaking specimens, insufficient quantity of specimen and specimens sent at the wrong temperature.
Expected Results:
Bacterial Culture: No Legionella pneumophila (or species) isolated, Legionella species identification. Direct Immunofluorescence Assay (DFA): Negative for serogroups 1-15, Positive for serogroups 1-15.
Comments
Legionella is a gram-negative rod that requires specialized growth conditions making specimen collection and rapid transport essential to growing the bacteria in the laboratory. Collecting lower respiratory specimens prior to antibiotic treatment is important to increase the recovery of Legionella in culture and enable detection of all species and serogroups of Legionella. Both culture and many molecular tests can detect Legionella species and serogroups that the urinary antigen test (UAT) doesn't. UAT typically only detects L. pneumophila serogroup 1. "Culture allows for comparison of clinical and environmental isolates during an outbreak investigation." (CDC Laboratory Testing for Legionella June 2025)
Alternate Names
Culture Legionella species, L. pneumophila culture