Isolation of legionellosis bacteriophage: main biological characteristics

For the first time a temperate legionellosis bacteriophage has been isolated from the organs of a guinea pig infected with Legionella pneumophila, Philadelphia-1 strain. A bacteriophage plaque is from 1.5 to 2.5 mm in diameter, and the central part of colonies is transparent and surrounded by the zone of incomplete lysis in periphery. According to electron microscopy data, phage corpuscles consist of a polyhedral elongated head of extended hexagonal form and a short process. The bacteriophage is specific, and lyses the bacteria of main agents of a legionnaires' disease, but at the same time it has some lytic activity concerning the cells of tularemia agent.