Evidence for the presence of Simkania negevensis in drinking water and in reclaimed wastewater in Israel

Simkania negevensis is a recently discovered chlamydia-like intracellular microorganism which has been associated with bronchiolitis in infants and with community-acquired pneumonia in adults; a high seroprevalence of antibodies to the microorganism has been found in various population groups. S. negevensis can be grown in various cell lines as well as in free-living amoebae such as Acanthamoeba polyphaga. In this study, evidence for the existence of Simkania or Simkania-like microorganisms in drinking water and in reclaimed wastewater is presented for the first time. Detection of the microorganism was made possible by the development of a specific and sensitive filter membrane immunoassay and was confirmed by PCR detection of microbial DNA in the water samples. The common presence of S. negevensis in water sources together with the high seroprevalence of antibodies to it and early age of acquisition of infection may implicate water as a source of infection. The possible significance of this finding for public health and for municipal water testing and treatment needs to be further examined.