Survival of Escherichia coli in agricultural soil and presence in tile drainage and shallow groundwater

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
A C VanderZaag ◽  
K J Campbell ◽  
R C Jamieson ◽  
A C Sinclair ◽  
L G Hynes
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
Subsurface Water ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Manure Application ◽  
Monitoring Wells ◽  
E Coli

Animal agriculture and the use of manure as a soil amendment can lead to enteric pathogens entering water used for drinking, irrigation, and recreation. The presence of Escherichia coli in water is commonly used as an indicator of recent fecal contamination; however, a few recent studies suggest some E. coli populations are able to survive for extended time periods in agricultural soils. This important finding needs to be further assessed with field-scale studies. To this end, we conducted a 1-yr study within a 9.6-ha field that had received fertilizer and semi-solid dairy cattle manure annually for the past decade. Escherichia coli concentrations were monitored throughout the year (before and after manure application) in the effluent from tile drains (at approximately 80 cm depth) and in 5- to 8-m-deep groundwater wells. Escherichia coli was detected in both groundwater and tile drain effluent at concentrations exceeding irrigation and recreational water-quality guidelines. Within two of the monitoring wells, concentrations of E. coli, and frequency of detections, were greatest several months after the manure application. In two monitoring wells and one tile drain the frequency of E. coli detections was higher before manure was applied than after. This suggests the presence and abundance of E. coli was not strongly related to the timing of manure application. A laboratory study using naladixic acid resistant E. coli showed the bacteria could survive at least two times longer in soil samples collected from the study field than in soil from the adjacent riparian area, which had not received manure applications. Together, field and lab results suggest that a consistent source of E. coli exists within the field, which may include “naturalized” strains of E. coli. Further studies are required to determine the specific source of E. coli detected in tile drainage water and shallow groundwater. If the E. coli recovered in subsurface water is primarily mobilized from naturalized populations residing within the soil profile, this indicator organism would have little value as an indicator of recent fecal contamination. Key words: Bacterial survival, naturalized Escherichia coli, groundwater, tile drainage

Bacterial contamination of tile drainage water and shallow groundwater under different application methods of liquid swine manure

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 668-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. Samarajeewa ◽  
S.M. Glasauer ◽  
J.D. Lauzon ◽  
I.P. O’Halloran ◽  
Gary W. Parkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Swine Manure ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Manure Application ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Liquid Swine Manure ◽  
Application Methods

A 2 year field experiment evaluated liquid manure application methods on the movement of manure-borne pathogens ( Salmonella sp.) and indicator bacteria ( Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens ) to subsurface water. A combination of application methods including surface application, pre-application tillage, and post-application incorporation were applied in a randomized complete block design on an instrumented field site in spring 2007 and 2008. Tile and shallow groundwater were sampled immediately after manure application and after rainfall events. Bacterial enumeration from water samples showed that the surface-applied manure resulted in the highest concentration of E. coli in tile drainage water. Pre-tillage significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the movement of manure-based E. coli and C. perfringens to tile water and to shallow groundwater within 3 days after manure application (DAM) in 2008 and within 10 DAM in 2007. Pre-tillage also decreased the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in tile water samples. Indicator bacteria and pathogens reached nondetectable levels within 50 DAM. The results suggest that tillage before application of liquid swine manure can minimize the movement of bacteria to tile and groundwater, but is effective only for the drainage events immediately after manure application or initial rainfall-associated drainage flows. Furthermore, the study highlights the strong association between bacterial concentrations in subsurface waters and rainfall timing and volume after manure application.

scholarly journals Using GFP-Tagged Escherichia coli to Investigate the Persistence of Fecal Bacteria in Vegetated Wetlands: An Experimental Approach

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
Emilia Chiapponi ◽  
Charles P. Henriot ◽  
Xavier Bertrand ◽  
Didier Hocquet ◽  
Gudrun Bornette
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Fecal Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
E Coli

The contamination of surface water by pathogenic bacteria of human origin is an important public health issue. Wetlands can be contaminated with fecal bacteria by water originating from different sources, such as wastewater treatment plants and agriculture. Escherichia coli is a commensal of the human gut flora and the major indication of fecal contamination in surface water. Little is known about the association between fecal bacteria and submerged macrophytes and how this may influence the water quality. We questioned whether macrophytes enhance or inhibit the bacterial growth in wetlands. For this purpose, we grew four different species of macrophytes (Mentha aquatica, Baldellia ranunculoides, Sparganium emersum and Elodea canadensis, in mono- or multispecies cultures) in aquatic rhizotrons and inoculated the devices with a fluorescent strain of Escherichia coli (producing a green fluorescent protein) to simulate the fecal contamination of wetlands. Bacterial survival was monitored by measuring the fluorescence for 19 days. We found (i) that contaminated sediments did not release E. coli in the water column in lentic conditions and (ii) that monocultures of E. canadensis, M. aquatica and S. emersum reduced the E. coli concentration in the water column. This suggests that aquatic plant species may be used in constructed wetlands to clear surface freshwater from bacteria of fecal origin.

scholarly journals Depth-Dependent Survival of Escherichia coli and Enterococci in Soil after Manure Application and Simulated Rainfall

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (14) ◽  
pp. 4801-4808 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Stocker ◽  
Y. A. Pachepsky ◽  
R. L. Hill ◽  
D. R. Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Manure Application ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACTOnce released, manure-borne bacteria can enter runoff via interaction with the thin mixing layer near the soil surface. The objectives of this work were to document temporal changes in profile distributions of manure-borneEscherichia coliand enterococci in the near-surface soil layers after simulated rainfalls and to examine differences in survival of the two fecal indicator bacteria. Rainfall simulations were performed in triplicate on soil-filled boxes with grass cover and solid manure application for 1 h with rainfall depths of 30, 60, and 90 mm. Soil samples were collected weekly from depth ranges of 0 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 5, and 5 to 10 cm for 1 month. Rainfall intensity was found to have a significant impact on the initial concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria in the soil. While total numbers of enterococci rapidly declined over time,E. colipopulations experienced initial growth with concentration increases of 4, 10, and 25 times the initial levels at rainfall treatment depths of 30, 60, and 90 mm, respectively.E. colipopulations grew to the approximately the same level in all treatments. The 0- to 1-cm layer contained more indicator bacteria than the layers beneath it, and survival of indicator bacteria was better in this layer, with decimation times between 12 and 18 days after the first week of growth. The proportion of bacteria in the 0- to 1-cm layer grew with time as the total number of bacteria in the 0- to 10-cm layer declined. The results of this work indicate the need to revisit the bacterial survival patterns that are assumed in water quality models.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli Contamination of Vegetables Grown in Soils Fertilized with Noncomposted Bovine Manure: Garden-Scale Studies

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 6420-6427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Ingham ◽  
Jill A. Losinski ◽  
Matthew P. Andrews ◽  
Jane E. Breuer ◽  
Jeffry R. Breuer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Silt Loam ◽  
Silty Clay Loam ◽  
Manure Application ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fertilized Soil ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
National Organic Program

ABSTRACT In this study we tested the validity of the National Organic Program (NOP) requirement for a ≥120-day interval between application of noncomposted manure and harvesting of vegetables grown in manure-fertilized soil. Noncomposted bovine manure was applied to 9.3-m2 plots at three Wisconsin sites (loamy sand, silt loam, and silty clay loam) prior to spring and summer planting of carrots, radishes, and lettuce. Soil and washed (30 s under running tap water) vegetables were analyzed for indigenous Escherichia coli. Within 90 days, the level of E. coli in manure-fertilized soil generally decreased by about 3 log CFU/g from initial levels of 4.2 to 4.4 log CFU/g. Low levels of E. coli generally persisted in manure-fertilized soil for more than 100 days and were detected in enriched soil from all three sites 132 to 168 days after manure application. For carrots and lettuce, at least one enrichment-negative sample was obtained ≤100 days after manure application for 63 and 88% of the treatments, respectively. The current ≥120-day limit provided an even greater likelihood of not detecting E. coli on carrots (≥1 enrichment-negative result for 100% of the treatments). The rapid maturation of radishes prevented conclusive evaluation of a 100- or 120-day application-to-harvest interval. The absolute absence of E. coli from vegetables harvested from manure-fertilized Wisconsin soils may not be ensured solely by adherence to the NOP ≥120-day limit. Unless pathogens are far better at colonizing vegetables than indigenous E. coli strains are, it appears that the risk of contamination for vegetables grown in Wisconsin soils would be elevated only slightly by reducing the NOP requirement to ≥100 days.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli is not a suitable fecal indicator to assess water fecal contamination by otters

2017 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Oliveira ◽  
D. Freire ◽  
N. M. Pedroso
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Pathogenic Microorganisms ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Paulo State

Abstract The detection of pathogenic microorganisms in aquatic environments is extremely relevant in terms of public health. As these laboratorial methodologies are usually difficult, expensive and time-consuming, they are frequently replaced by the assessment of fecal indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli. This study aimed to assess the presence of E. coli in fecal samples from Neotropical otters, to evaluate its potential as fecal indicator to be applied to the determination of water microbiological quality in areas where otters’ populations are high. Twenty-six otter fecal samples, collected in Alto Paranapanema river basin, São Paulo State, Brazil, were analyzed for the presence of E. coli, using conventional bacteriological methods. Only 8 scat samples (30%) were E. coli positive, indicating that this microorganism is not a suitable fecal indicator to assess water fecal contamination by Neotropical otters, and should not be used to infer the presence of otter related pathogens in waters.

scholarly journals Occurrence and ecological determinants of the contamination of floodplain wetlands with Klebsiella pneumoniae and pathogenic or antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli.

2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles P Henriot ◽  
Daniel Martak ◽  
Quentin Cuenot ◽  
Christophe Loup ◽  
Hélène Masclaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Floodplain Wetlands ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Chemical Conditions ◽  
One Year ◽  
Three Rivers

ABSTRACT The survival and multiplication of human pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in ecosystems is of increasing concern but has been little explored. Wetlands can be contaminated by water fluxes from rivers and may present environmental conditions leading to bacterial survival and multiplication. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 16 wetlands located along three rivers of the Jura Massif, France. The bacterial contamination of the wetland and river waters was measured monthly over a one-year cycle together with the water physico-chemical characteristics. We assessed the abundance of three pathogenic species: Escherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniaeand Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The concentrations of E. coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL E. coli) or belonging to the phylogenetic group B2 (E. coli B2–more pathogenic) were also measured. We found that rivers carried total E. coli, ESBL E. coli, and K. pneumoniae to wetlands. ESBL E. coli poorly survived in wetlands, whereas total E. coli and K. pneumoniae possibly met favourable physico-chemical conditions for survival and multiplication in these habitats. K. pneumoniae peaked in summer in warm and shallow wetlands. Total E. coli and E. coli B2 potentially reached wetlands through sources other than rivers (hillslope groundwater or leaching from contaminated fields).

Effect of Prechill Fecal Contamination on Numbers of Bacteria Recovered from Broiler Chicken Carcasses Before and After Immersion Chilling

2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 1829-1833 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. CASON ◽  
M. E. BERRANG ◽  
R. J. BUHR ◽  
N. A. COX
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Broiler Chicken ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Bacterial Counts ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Marked Area ◽  
Skin Samples

Paired carcass halves were used to test whether fecal contamination of skin during processing of broiler chickens can be detected by increased bacterial counts in samples taken before and after immersion chilling. In each of three trials, six freshly defeathered and eviscerated carcasses were cut in half, and a rectangle (3 by 5 cm) was marked with dots of ink on the breast skin of each half. One half of each pair was chosen randomly, and 0.1 g of freshly collected feces was spread over the rectangle with a spatula. After 10 min, both halves were sprayed with tap water for 10 to 15 s until feces could no longer be seen in the marked area. Both halves were sampled with a 1-min carcass rinse and were then put in a paddle chiller with other eviscerated carcasses for 45 min to simulate industrial immersion chilling. Immediately after chilling, each carcass half was subjected to another 1-min rinse, after which the skin within the rectangle was aseptically removed from the carcass halves and stomached. Rinses of fecally contaminated halves had significantly higher Enterobacteriaceae immediately before chilling, but there were no differences in coliform and Escherichia coli counts. After chilling, there were no differences in Enterobacteriaceae, coliform, and E. coli counts in rinse or skin samples from the paired carcass halves. Correlations were generally poor between counts in rinse and skin samples but were significant between prechill and postchill rinses for both control and fecally contaminated halves. Correlations were also significant between counts in rinses of control and contaminated halves of the same carcass after chilling. Bacterial counts in postchill carcass rinses did not indicate that fecal contamination occurred before chilling.

scholarly journals mcr-1 Gene Expression Modulates the Inflammatory Response of Human Macrophages to Escherichia coli

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Mattiuz ◽  
Sabrina Nicolò ◽  
Alberto Antonelli ◽  
Tommaso Giani ◽  
Ilaria Baccani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Interleukin 12 ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Macrophages ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT MCR-1 is a plasmid-encoded phosphoethanolamine transferase able to modify the lipid A structure. It confers resistance to colistin and was isolated from human, animal, and environmental strains of Enterobacteriaceae, raising serious global health concerns. In this paper, we used recombinant mcr-1-expressing Escherichia coli to study the impact of MCR-1 products on E. coli-induced activation of inflammatory pathways in activated THP-1 cells, which was used as a model of human macrophages. We found that infection with recombinant mcr-1-expressing E. coli significantly modulated p38-MAPK and Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activation and pNF-κB nuclear translocation as well as the expression of genes for the relevant proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and IL-1β compared with mcr-1-negative strains. Caspase-1 activity and IL-1β secretion were significantly less activated by mcr-1-positive E. coli strains than the mcr-1-negative parental strain. Similar results were obtained with clinical isolates of mcr-1-positive E. coli, suggesting that, in addition to colistin resistance, the expression of mcr-1 allows the escape of early host innate defenses and may promote bacterial survival.

scholarly journals Nickel Promotes Biofilm Formation by Escherichia coli K-12 Strains That Produce Curli

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1723-1733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Perrin ◽  
Romain Briandet ◽  
Gregory Jubelin ◽  
Philippe Lejeune ◽  
Marie-Andrée Mandrand-Berthelot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Toxic Compounds ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Transcriptional Effect ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACT The survival of bacteria exposed to toxic compounds is a multifactorial phenomenon, involving well-known molecular mechanisms of resistance but also less-well-understood mechanisms of tolerance that need to be clarified. In particular, the contribution of biofilm formation to survival in the presence of toxic compounds, such as nickel, was investigated in this study. We found that a subinhibitory concentration of nickel leads Escherichia coli bacteria to change their lifestyle, developing biofilm structures rather than growing as free-floating cells. Interestingly, whereas nickel and magnesium both alter the global cell surface charge, only nickel promotes biofilm formation in our system. Genetic evidence indicates that biofilm formation induced by nickel is mediated by the transcriptional induction of the adhesive curli-encoding genes. Biofilm formation induced by nickel does not rely on efflux mechanisms using the RcnA pump, as these require a higher concentration of nickel to be activated. Our results demonstrate that the nickel-induced biofilm formation in E. coli is an adaptational process, occurring through a transcriptional effect on genes coding for adherence structures. The biofilm lifestyle is obviously a selective advantage in the presence of nickel, but the means by which it improves bacterial survival needs to be investigated.

scholarly journals Involvement of the Escherichia coli O157:H7(pO157) ecf Operon and Lipid A Myristoyl Transferase Activity in Bacterial Survival in the Bovine Gastrointestinal Tract and Bacterial Persistence in Farm Water Troughs

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 2367-2378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jang W. Yoon ◽  
Ji Youn Lim ◽  
Yong H. Park ◽  
Carolyn J. Hovde
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Membrane Structure ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Transferase Activity ◽  
Bacterial Membrane ◽  
Dna Curvature ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Genetic Redundancy ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans. Recently, we reported that the pO157 ecf (E. coli attaching and effacing gene-positive conserved fragments) operon is thermoregulated by an intrinsically curved DNA and contains the genes for bacterial surface-associated proteins, including a second copy of lipid A myristoyl transferase, whose chromosomal copy is the lpxM gene product. E. coli O157:H7 survives and persists well in diverse environments from the human and bovine gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) to nutrient-dilute farm water troughs. Transcriptional regulation of the ecf operon by intrinsic DNA curvature and the genetic redundancy of lpxM that is associated with lipid A modification led us to hypothesize that the pO157 ecf operon and lpxM are associated with bacterial survival and persistence in various in vivo and ex vivo environments by optimizing bacterial membrane structure and/or integrity. To test this hypothesis, three isogenic ecf operon and/or lpxM deletion mutants of E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43894 were constructed and analyzed in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that a double mutant carrying deletions in the ecf and lpxM genes had an altered lipid A structure and membrane fatty acid composition, did not survive passage through the bovine GIT, did not persist well in farm water troughs, had increased susceptibility to a broad spectrum of antibiotics and detergents, and had impaired motility. Electron microscopic analyses showed gross changes in bacterial membrane structure.

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