Glossary
Viable but non-culturable (VBNC)
A dormant state in which Legionella is still alive and potentially able to cause infection but will not grow on a standard laboratory culture plate. It means a “no growth” culture result does not always prove that water is free of risk.
Covered in depth
More terms
Cite this page
"Viable but non-culturable (VBNC), Legionella glossary." Legionella.io. https://legionella.io/glossary/viable-but-non-culturable/
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: quote, adapt or republish with attribution and a link back to the original.