The laboratory of the Department of Environmental Protection and Health Ecology of the Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is the only one in Europe to hold the ELITE certificate for the detection of several species of Legionella in water using the cultivation method.

“The certificate is a significant achievement that proves the skills and competitiveness of our experts on a global level,” the Institute stated on Thursday, adding that the method is considered the gold standard for the detection of these pathogenic bacteria.

Only 150 laboratories in the world have the ELITE certificate, as the cultivation of Legionella spp. in a laboratory on specialised media is extremely demanding, lengthy and complex, said Darija Vukic-Lusic, Head of the Department of Sanitary Microbiology and Environmental Biology.

We decided to participate in the demanding inter-laboratory comparison organised by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from Atlanta, she said, adding that the detection, identification and determination of Legionella concentration is challenging and can take up to 10 days.

Success in performing these procedures indicates a high level of accuracy and precision of results, which is the basis for building trust in the laboratory, knowledge sharing and professional development, Lusic said.

Obtaining such a certificate demonstrates the laboratory’s capabilities, skills and advanced techniques, she added.