[Temperate Legionella bacteriophage: discovery and characteristics].

For the first time, temperate Legionella bacteriophage was isolated from organs of guinea pig infected with Philadelphia 1 strain of Legionella pneumophila. Negative colonies of bactriophage from 1.5 to 2.5 mm in diameter were detected. Central part of them was transparent and surrounded by peripheral zone of partial lysis. Electron microscopy showed that corpuscles of the phage consist from multifaceted elongated head of stretched hexagonal form and short tail. The bacteriophage lyzed bacteria, which cause Legionnaires' disease, and also had certain lytic activity against causative agent of tularemia.