Legionella pneumophila ( L. pneumophila ) is the most pathogenic species of Legionella , which can cause Legionella disease. It can cause pneumonia, or Pontiac fever. In severe cases, it can lead to respiratory failure and kidney failure, with a high fatality rate. Here, a novel molecular diagnosis method, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow biosensor (LFB) method (LAMP-LFB) was successfully established and evaluated for the identification of L. pneumophila . A set of 6 primers was designed specifically based on the L. pneumophila -specific gene mip. The optimized time and temperature conditions for the LAMP was 50 min and 64◦C respectively. The minimum concentration that can be detected by this method was 100fg. Using the protocol, we could observe the LAMP amplification within 2min by LFB. The whole process, including the preparation of DNA (20 min), LAMP reaction (50 min) and results reporting (2 min), could be finished within 75 min. Among 50 alveolar lavage fluid samples, 5(10%) were L. pneumophila -positive by the LAMP-LFB, and the diagnostic accuracy was 100% when compared to the culture method. While only 4 samples were positive using PCR method. In a word, the LAMP-LFB assay is a rapid, sensitive and specific detection method that can detect Legionella pneumophila , and it can be used as a new molecular method for the detection of target pathogens in water, environmental and clinical samples.