legionnaires check is a type of health check used to see if you have Legionella pneumonia (sometimes called legionellosis). It involves peeing or coughing into a sample cup. Your provider will then do a blood test or an imaging study of your lungs.

If you are in an at-risk group for legionnaires (for example, people with a chronic illness or with a weakened immune system), your healthcare provider may recommend testing for Legionella in your urine or sputum. You will also have a chest X-ray or CT scan to look for pneumonia.

Legionella Check: Identifying and Mitigating Risks in Water Systems

You should have regular legionella risk assessments carried out on your building’s water systems. This will ensure that you have control over the water and prevent the growth of Legionella. The assessments will include a tour of the building to identify where the water comes from, where it is stored and whether any aerosols can be created. The assessments should also consider if there are any specific high-risk groups in the building.

A sample of the water will be sent to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for testing. The results will show the amount of bacteria present and which species are found. Samples must be collected in the correct places within the system and using the right methodology for accurate results. A new quick testing method, quantitative PCR (qPCR), is now available to complement traditional lab-based culture methods. Unlike cultures, which can take weeks to produce results, qPCR detects live and dead bacteria in the sample and provides a much quicker result.