Vibrio cholerae Detection in Water and Wastewater by Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay

Background: Vibrio cholerae is a significant human pathogen worldwide and annually causes some cases of deaths. Contaminated water plays an important role in transmission of this pathogen, which indicates the importance of early diagnosis. Objectives: The current study aimed to perform Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on water and wastewater samples to determine the detection limit for Vibrio cholerae. Materials and Methods: PCR was performed on the DNA extracted from Vibrio cholerae of the contaminated water and wastewater using ctxA gene specific primers. The accuracy of PCR method to detect these bacteria was also assessed. Results: The result of PCR performed on the extracted DNA showed a specific 241 base pair band. The limit of bacterial detection for water and wastewater were 40 cfu/mL and 81 cfu/mL, respectively. Conclusions: In the current study, PCR performance using the ctxA gene specific primers to detect Vibrio cholerae was found highly accurate and specific.