scholarly journals Bacteriophages as Fecal Pollution Indicators

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1089
Author(s):  
Daniel Toribio-Avedillo ◽  
Anicet R. Blanch ◽  
Maite Muniesa ◽  
Lorena Rodríguez-Rubio
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fate And Transport ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Viral Indicators ◽  
Potential Use

Bacteriophages are promising tools for the detection of fecal pollution in different environments, and particularly for viral pathogen risk assessment. Having similar morphological and biological characteristics, bacteriophages mimic the fate and transport of enteric viruses. Enteric bacteriophages, especially phages infecting Escherichia coli (coliphages), have been proposed as alternatives or complements to fecal indicator bacteria. Here, we provide a general overview of the potential use of enteric bacteriophages as fecal and viral indicators in different environments, as well as the available methods for their detection and enumeration, and the regulations for their application.

scholarly journals Differential Decay of Enterococci and Escherichia coli Originating from Two Fecal Pollution Sources

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 2488-2492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asja Korajkic ◽  
Brian R. McMinn ◽  
Valerie J. Harwood ◽  
Orin C. Shanks ◽  
G. Shay Fout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Aquatic Mesocosms

ABSTRACTUsingin situsubtropical aquatic mesocosms, fecal source (cattle manure versus sewage) was shown to be the most important contributor to differential loss in viability of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), specifically enterococci in freshwater andEscherichia coliin marine habitats. In this study, sunlight exposure and indigenous aquatic microbiota were also important contributors, whose effects on FIB also differed between water types.

scholarly journals Poikilothermic Animals as a Previously Unrecognized Source of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in a Backwater Ecosystem of a Large River

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Frick ◽  
Julia Vierheilig ◽  
Rita Linke ◽  
Domenico Savio ◽  
Horst Zornig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Intestinal Enterococci

ABSTRACTQuantitative information regarding the presence ofEscherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, andClostridium perfringensin poikilotherms is notably scarce. Therefore, this study was designed to allow a systematic comparison of the occurrence of these standard fecal indicator bacteria (SFIB) in the excreta of wild homeothermic (ruminants, boars, carnivores, and birds) and poikilothermic (earthworms, gastropods, frogs, and fish) animals inhabiting an alluvial backwater area in eastern Austria. With the exception of earthworms, the average concentrations ofE. coliand enterococci in the excreta of poikilotherms were equal to or only slightly lower than those observed in homeothermic excreta and were 1 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than the levels observed in the ambient soils and sediments. Enterococci reached extraordinarily high concentrations in gastropods. Additional estimates of the daily excreted SFIB (E. coliand enterococcus) loads (DESL) further supported the importance of poikilotherms as potential pollution sources. The newly established DESL metric also allowed comparison to the standing stock of SFIB in the sediment and soil of the investigated area. In agreement with its biological characteristics, the highest concentrations ofC. perfringenswere observed in carnivores. In conclusion, the long-standing hypothesis that only humans and homeothermic animals are primary sources of SFIB is challenged by the results of this study. It may be necessary to extend the fecal indicator concept by additionally considering poikilotherms as potential important primary habitats of SFIB. Further studies in other geographical areas are needed to evaluate the general significance of our results. We hypothesize that the importance of poikilotherms as sources of SFIB is strongly correlated with the ambient temperature and would therefore be of increased significance in subtropical and tropical habitats and water resources.IMPORTANCEThe current fecal indicator concept is based on the assumption that the standard fecal indicator bacteria (SFIB)Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, andClostridium perfringensmultiply significantly only in the guts of humans and other homeothermic animals and can therefore indicate fecal pollution and the potential presence of pathogens from those groups. The findings of the present study showed that SFIB can also occur in high concentrations in poikilothermic animals (i.e., animals with body temperatures that vary with the ambient environmental temperature, such as fish, frogs, and snails) in an alluvial backwater area in a temperate region, indicating that a reconsideration of this long-standing indicator paradigm is needed. This study suggests that poikilotherms must be considered to be potential primary sources of SFIB in future studies.

scholarly journals Relationships between Microbial Indicators and Pathogens in Recreational Water Settings

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asja Korajkic ◽  
Brian McMinn ◽  
Valerie Harwood
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Recreational Waters ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Significant Relationships

Fecal pollution of recreational waters can cause scenic blight and pose a threat to public health, resulting in beach advisories and closures. Fecal indicator bacteria (total and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci), and alternative indicators of fecal pollution (Clostridium perfringens and bacteriophages) are routinely used in the assessment of sanitary quality of recreational waters. However, fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), and alternative indicators are found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans, and many other animals and therefore are considered general indicators of fecal pollution. As such, there is room for improvement in terms of their use for informing risk assessment and remediation strategies. Microbial source tracking (MST) genetic markers are closely associated with animal hosts and are used to identify fecal pollution sources. In this review, we examine 73 papers generated over 40 years that reported the relationship between at least one indicator and one pathogen group or species. Nearly half of the reports did not include statistical analysis, while the remainder were almost equally split between those that observed statistically significant relationships and those that did not. Statistical significance was reported less frequently in marine and brackish waters compared to freshwater, and the number of statistically significant relationships was considerably higher in freshwater (p < 0.0001). Overall, significant relationships were more commonly reported between FIB and pathogenic bacteria or protozoa, compared to pathogenic viruses (p: 0.0022–0.0005), and this was more pronounced in freshwater compared to marine. Statistically significant relationships were typically noted following wet weather events and at sites known to be impacted by recent fecal pollution. Among the studies that reported frequency of detection, FIB were detected most consistently, followed by alternative indicators. MST markers and the three pathogen groups were detected least frequently. This trend was mirrored by reported concentrations for each group of organisms (FIB > alternative indicators > MST markers > pathogens). Thus, while FIB, alternative indicators, and MST markers continue to be suitable indicators of fecal pollution, their relationship with waterborne pathogens, particularly viruses, is tenuous at best and influenced by many different factors such as frequency of detection, variable shedding rates, differential fate and transport characteristics, as well as a broad range of site-specific factors such as the potential for the presence of a complex mixture of multiple sources of fecal contamination and pathogens.

Spatial and temporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria in an urban stream under different meteorological regimes

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 3102-3108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Min Cha ◽  
Seung Won Lee ◽  
Yong Eun Park ◽  
Kyung Hwa Cho ◽  
Seungyoon Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Monitoring Data ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Urban Stream ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Fecal Indicator

As a representative urban stream in Korea, the Gwangju (GJ) stream suffers from chronic fecal contamination. In this study, to characterize levels of fecal pollution in the GJ stream, the monthly monitoring data for seven years (from 2001 to 2007) and the hourly monitoring data from two field experiments were examined with respect to seasonal/daily variations and spatial distribution under wet and dry weather conditions. This research revealed that concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria strongly varied depending on the prevalent meteorological conditions. That is, during the dry daytime, fecal indicator bacteria concentrations decreased due to inactivation from solar irradiation, but rapidly increased in the absence of sunlight, suggesting external source inputs. In addition, bacterial concentrations substantially increased during rainfall events, due probably to a major contribution from combined sewer overflow. The observations in this study can be useful for implementing fecal pollution management strategies and for predicting fecal contamination as a function of meteorological conditions.

scholarly journals Multitiered Approach Using Quantitative PCR To Track Sources of Fecal Pollution Affecting Santa Monica Bay, California

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 1604-1612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel T. Noble ◽  
John F. Griffith ◽  
A. Denene Blackwood ◽  
Jed A. Fuhrman ◽  
Jason B. Gregory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Santa Monica Bay ◽  
Santa Monica ◽  
Human Specific

ABSTRACT The ubiquity of fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in urban environments makes tracking of fecal contamination extremely challenging. A multitiered approach was used to assess sources of fecal pollution in Ballona Creek, an urban watershed that drains to the Santa Monica Bay (SMB) near Los Angeles, Calif. A mass-based design at six main-stem sites and four major tributaries over a 6-h period was used (i) to assess the flux of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli by using culture-based methods (tier 1); (ii) to assess levels of Enterococcus spp. by using quantitative PCR and to detect and/or quantify additional markers of human fecal contamination, including a human-specific Bacteroides sp. marker and enterovirus, using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (tier 2); and (iii) to assess the specific types of enterovirus genomes found via sequence analysis (tier 3). Sources of fecal indicator bacteria were ubiquitous, and concentrations were high, throughout Ballona Creek, with no single tributary dominating fecal inputs. The flux of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli averaged 109 to 1010 cells h−1 and was as high at the head of the watershed as at the mouth prior to discharge into the SMB. In addition, a signal for the human-specific Bacteroides marker was consistently detected: 86% of the samples taken over the extent during the study period tested positive. Enteroviruses were quantifiable in 14 of 36 samples (39%), with the highest concentrations at the site furthest upstream (Cochran). These results indicated the power of using multiple approaches to assess and quantify fecal contamination in freshwater conduits to high-use, high-priority recreational swimming areas.

scholarly journals Assessing the Importance of Sand as a Source of Fecal Indicator Bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus)

Oceanography ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Knee ◽  
Rose Leopold ◽  
Ella Madsen ◽  
Adina Paytan
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Indicator
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