National observatory · English edition
LEGIONELLA ANALYSIS ITALY
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY
Open regional dataset, public REST API and an annual technical report on Legionella in Italy. ISO/IEC 17025-compliant testing services with English compliance documentation for international hotel groups, EHS teams and facility managers.
- Founded
- 2014
- Analyses per year
- 1200+
- Italian regions covered
- 21
- Cities served
- 120+
Peer-citable methodology, transparent API
The English edition exposes the resources most useful for international academic and journalistic citation — PubMed, Google Scholar, ECDC, WHO.
National Observatory
Open regional database, public REST API, press room, methodology aligned with the Italian State-Regions Agreement (7 May 2015) and UNI EN ISO 11731:2017.
Open the observatory→Open Dataset (CC BY 4.0)
Regional dataset on Legionella cases and environmental sampling. CSV / JSON / XML downloads with reproducible citation. Ideal for PubMed citations and ECDC cross-references.
Download dataset→State of Legionella Italy — Annual Report
Annual flagship publication of the Italian Observatory: 1,200+ technical inspections analysed, 5 key findings, 3 anonymised case studies and 5 operational recommendations.
Read the 2025 report→Public REST API
Documented endpoints for regional incidence, national trend and per-sector breakdown. Transparent rate limit and machine-readable schema for academic reuse.
API documentation→Technical Glossary
30+ technical terms used in Legionella prevention and laboratory practice: biofilm, copper-silver ionization, dead-leg, serogroup 1, CFU/L, hyperchlorination.
Open the glossary→Contact & Press
Direct contact for press enquiries, academic collaborations, ambassador programme applications and dataset access requests.
Get in touch→Legionella compliance for international operators
ISO/IEC 17025-compliant Legionella testing across all 21 Italian regions. English compliance documentation, framework contracts for multi-site portfolios and a single point of contact — no Italian entity required.
International hotel chains
Framework contracts for multi-property portfolios across Italy. Unified sampling calendar, consolidated English compliance documentation and a single point of contact for head-office EHS teams.
Learn more →HealthcareNursing homes & care facilities
Quarterly sampling, immediate corrective action above 100 CFU/L and ASL-ready certified test reports for facilities with the highest individual risk from Legionella exposure.
Learn more →IndustryIndustrial & manufacturing
Cooling towers, industrial humidifiers and process-water circuits. Legislative Decree 81/2008 biological-risk compliance for multinational production sites operating in Italy.
Learn more →ResidentialCondominiums & property funds
Annual risk assessment and sampling for centralised hot-water systems. English-language operational reports for international property management companies with Italian assets.
Learn more →Three steps, zero ambiguity
Every engagement — regardless of facility type or Italian region — follows the same documented, auditable three-step process aligned with UNI EN ISO 11731:2017.
On-site survey
A qualified technician inspects the water system, maps risk points (dead-legs, storage tanks, cooling towers) and drafts a sampling plan aligned with the Italian State-Regions Agreement 2015.
ACCREDIA-accredited laboratory analysis
Samples are collected under a documented chain of custody and analysed by an ACCREDIA-accredited partner laboratory using the UNI EN ISO 11731:2017 culture method.
English compliance report
Signed certified test report plus a plain-English operational summary with graded corrective actions, monitoring schedule and documentation ready for head-office audits.
The framework we operate under
Every analytical method, reporting format and risk assessment is governed by an explicit normative reference — verifiable by any health authority inspection.
ISO/IEC 17025
All partner laboratories hold ACCREDIA accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 — recognised under EA, IAF and ILAC mutual recognition arrangements.
UNI EN ISO 11731:2017
Culture method on BCYE selective agar, 7-10 days at 36 degrees C. Results in CFU/L. The mandatory analytical standard for Italian regulatory compliance.
State-Regions Agreement 2015
Italian national guidelines for Legionella prevention — the primary regulatory reference for risk assessment criteria and mandatory sampling frequencies.
ECDC ELDSNet aligned
Observatory methodology and case definitions are consistent with the European Legionnaires' Disease Surveillance Network protocol coordinated by ECDC.
Is your Italian facility legally required to test?
Hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, gyms and industrial facilities with cooling towers are subject to mandatory risk assessment and periodic sampling under the Italian State-Regions Agreement 2015 and D.Lgs. 81/2008. The EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 adds further obligations phased to 2026-2028.
Free quote — 1 business day
Tell us about your Italian facilities
Send us your facility type, Italian region and approximate number of water outlets. We will confirm regulatory obligations, propose a tailored sampling plan and return a fixed-cost quote within one business day. No Italian entity or local contact required.
Questions from academics, journalists and facility managers
Covering observatory governance, licensing, API access, regulatory obligations and how international operators work with Italian Legionella compliance law.
Who runs the National Legionella Observatory Italy?
The observatory is published by 123 Legionella, an Italian editorial and technical project that aggregates and harmonises data from the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and a network of 1,200+ technical inspections carried out by ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories across 21 Italian regions.
Can I cite the dataset in a peer-reviewed paper?
Yes. The dataset is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). A ready-to-use APA 7 citation is provided on the dataset page and a Zenodo DOI is available for each annual report.
Is there a public REST API for the dataset?
Yes. A documented REST API exposes regional incidence, national trend and per-sector breakdown. See the API documentation page for endpoints, parameters, curl examples and the published rate limit.
How is the methodology aligned with international standards?
Environmental sampling and analysis follow UNI EN ISO 11731:2017 (culture method, BCYE selective agar, 7–10 days at 36 °C). Risk assessment criteria reference the Italian National Guidelines (State-Regions Agreement, 7 May 2015) and the ISS thresholds, which are themselves consistent with the WHO Water Safety Plan approach and the ECDC ELDSNet protocol.
Can you manage Legionella compliance for multiple Italian properties under one contract?
Yes. Framework contracts for international hotel chains and multi-site operators are a core part of our service. A single contract covers all scheduled sampling rounds across all Italian properties, with a unified annual sampling calendar, consolidated English reporting and priority scheduling. Volume pricing applies from three or more sites.
Do you provide compliance documentation in English for head-office audits?
Yes. All operational reports, risk summaries and compliance dashboards are available in English. Certified laboratory test reports are issued in Italian (the legally required format for Italian health authority inspections) and accompanied by a plain-English summary note.
Which Italian law makes Legionella testing mandatory?
The primary reference is the State-Regions Agreement of 7 May 2015, which makes risk assessment and periodic sampling mandatory for hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, gyms and industrial facilities. Legislative Decree 81/2008 imposes the same obligation for workplaces under biological-risk legislation. The EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, transposed as D.Lgs. 18/2023, is adding further obligations for priority premises phased to 2026-2028.
How quickly are test results available?
Standard turnaround is 7-10 working days from the sampling date. Expedited analysis (3-5 working days) is available on request for pre-reopening protocols or post-incident investigations. A free tailored quote is returned within one business day of your enquiry.