Limited presence of in drinking water systems in the Netherlands.

is an emerging pathogen belonging to the order of . This obligate intracellular bacterium was initially isolated from an aborted bovine fetus and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in women. The ability of to reside and replicate within a range of free-living amoebae implies a possible widespread environmental presence. Potential hosts of are present in Dutch drinking water. This study therefore investigated the presence of DNA in drinking water by analysing 59 samples from ten drinking water systems throughout the Netherlands. Samples were taken at three distances from the treatment plant, during both summer and winter. Twelve of the samples were positive, originating from two of the treatment plants, of which three samples were quantifiable.