Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T02:06:54.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The survival patterns of selected faecal bacteria in tropical fresh waters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

R. C. Wright
R. C. Wright
Affiliation:
UNICEF, P.O. Box 1011, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The survival of various faecal bacteria used as indicators of the faecal contamination of water supplies has been investigated in a tropical environment (Sierra Leone). Isolates representing the thermotolerant coliform (TtC) and faecal streptococcus (FS) groups, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella spp. were studied over a 48 h period of immersion in water from three different sources. Survival patterns varied according to source type, but some general observations were made: a portion of the TtC group was apparently capable of substantial regrowth; FS organisms died off at a faster rate than TtC organisms initially, but survived longer; vegetative cells of C. perfringens died off rapidly; and Salmonella spp. could survive for as long as the other faecal organisms tested. The implications of results for the analysis of tropical waters for faecal contamination are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 103 , Issue 3 , December 1989 , pp. 603 - 611
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

References

REFERENCES

Allen, L.A.. Pasley, S. M. & Pierce, M. A. F. (1952). Some factors affecting the viability of faecal bacteria in water. Journal of General Microbiology 7. 36–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigger, J. W. (1937). The growth of coliform bacilli in water. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 44. 167–211.Google Scholar
Bitton, G., Farrah, S. R., Ruskin, R. H., Butner, J. & Chou, Y. J. (1983). Survival of pathogenic and indicator organisms in ground water. Groundwater 21, 405–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowan, S. T. & Steel, K. J. (1965). Manual for the Identification of Medical Bacteria. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Deaner, D. G. & Kerri, K. D. (1969). Regrowth of faecal coliforms. Journal of American Water Works Association 61, 465–468.Google Scholar
DHSS (1969). The Bacteriological Examination of Water Supplies. Report no. 71 of the Department of Health and Social Security and Department of the Environment, 4th edn., London: HMSO.Google Scholar
DHSS (1983). The Bacteriological Examination of Drinking Water Supplies 1982. Reports on public health and medical subjects no. 71, 5th edn., London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Evison, L. M. & James, A. (1977). Microbiological criteria for tropical water quality. In Water, Wastes and Health in Hot Climates (ed. Feachem, R. G., McGarry, M. G. & Mara, D. D.). Chichester: Wiley.Google Scholar
Fattal, B., Vasl, R.J., Katzenelson, E. & Shuval, H. I. (1983). Survival of bacterial indicator organisms and enteric viruses in the Mediterranean coastal waters off Tel-Aviv. Water Research 17, 397–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geldreich, E. E., Best, L. C., Kenner, B. A. & Van Donsel, D. J. (1968). The bacteriological aspects of storm water pollution. Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation 40, 1861–1872.Google Scholar
Gyllenberg, H., Niemelä, S. & Sormunen, T. (1960). Survival of bifid bacteria in water as compared with that of coliform bacteria and enteroccoci. Applied Microbiology 8, 20–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keswick, B. H., Gerba, C. P., Secor, S. L. & Cech, I. (1982). Survival of enteric viruses and indicator bacteria in groundwater. Journal of Environmental Sciences and Health A 17, 903–912.Google Scholar
McFeters, G. A., Bissonnette, G. K., Jezeski, J. J., Thomson, C. A. & Stuart, D. G. (1974). Comparative survival of indicator bacteria and enteric pathogens in well water. Applied Microbiology 27, 823–829.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moussa, R.S. (1965). Type distribution of coliforms isolated from faecal and non-faecal habitats. Indian Journal of Medical Research 53, 629–637.Google ScholarPubMed
WHO (1983). Guidelines for drinking water quality. Geneva: World Health Organisation.Google Scholar
Wright, R. C. (1982a). A medium for the rapid enumeration of Escherichia coli in the presence of other faecal coliforms in tropical waters. Journal of Hygiene 88, 265–273.Google Scholar
Wright, R. C (1982b). A comparison of the levels of faecal indicator bacteria in water and human faeces in a rural area of a tropical developing country (Sierra Leone). Journal of Hygiene 89, 69–78.Google Scholar
Wright, R. C. (1986). The seasonality of bacterial quality of water in a tropical developing country (Sierra Leone). Journal of Hygiene 96, 75–82.Google Scholar
Zanoni, A. E. & Fleissner, J. T. (1982). Indicator bacteria survival under laboratory conditions. Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation 54, 500–503.Google Scholar