[beachnet] E coli detection using mTEC agar and fluorescent antibody direct viable counting on coastal recreational water samples

The abstract is included below and available at

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122515305/abstract

 

 

Escherichia coli detection using mTEC agar and fluorescent antibody
direct viable counting on coastal recreational water samples

 

A.M. Zimmerman, D.M. Rebarchik, A.R. Flowers, J.L. Williams and D.J.
Grimes 

 

The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory,
Ocean Springs, MS, USA

Correspondence to Darrell Jay Grimes, The University of Southern
Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean
Springs, MS 39564, USA. E-mail: jay.grimes at usm.edu
<mailto:jay.grimes at usm.edu> 

Copyright Journal compilation (c) 2009 The Society for Applied
Microbiology

KEYWORDS

Enterococcus * Escherichia coli * faecal indicators * marine waters *
nonculturable * resuspension

ABSTRACT

Aims:  Escherichia coli is the faecal indicator species recommended by
the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for monitoring fresh
recreational water. Viable but nonculturable (VBNC) E. coli are living
cells that are dormant and not culturable using standard microbiological
cultivation methods. This study reports a comparison between the mTEC
culture method recommended by USEPA for E. coli enumeration and a
fluorescent antibody-direct viable count (FA-DVC) method to visualize
living E. coli cells with a microscope.

Methods and Results:  Escherichia coli, faecal coliforms and
Enterococcus were detected using standard methods recommended by the
USEPA. VBNC E. coli was visualized with FA-DVC. Results were analysed
with standard statistical methods (Pearson correlation; paired-sample
t-test). Significantly higher numbers of E. coli were detected using the
FA-DVC method than using the mTEC method. Escherichia coli results were
also compared with faecal coliform (mFC broth) and Enterococcus (mEI
agar) counts in the same samples.

Conclusions: The results of this comparative study demonstrate that E.
coli can be present in higher numbers than what are detected with
standard culture methods.

Significance and Impact of the Study: This study re-emphasizes the need
for a rapid, accurate and precise method for detecting health risks to
humans who use recreational waters.

________________________________

2009/0656: received 10 April 2009, revised 17 June 2009 and accepted 2
July 2009

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02693.x
<http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/doiinfo.html> 

 

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