True or False: It is appropriate to select a laboratory for Legionella culture services based solely on price due to its simplicity?

Selecting a laboratory for Legionella culture services solely based on price is not appropriate due to the complexities involved in accurately identifying Legionella bacteria. Laboratory processes for culturing and testing for Legionella require specific methodologies that ensure reliability and accuracy. Choosing a lab must consider several critical factors beyond just cost, such as the lab's accreditation, the quality of its testing methods, turnaround time for results, and whether they follow standardized protocols.

Using an improperly equipped or inadequately certified laboratory can lead to unreliable results, which can pose serious health risks when assessing water systems for Legionella—a bacterium that can cause severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires' disease. Therefore, selecting a laboratory requires a comprehensive evaluation to ensure the safety and efficacy of Legionella management efforts in plumbing systems, rather than focusing on price alone.