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Holy water fonts are reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria
Author(s) -
Jurado V.,
OrtizMartinez A.,
GonzalezdelValle M.,
Hermosin B.,
SaizJimenez C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1046/j.1462-2920.2002.00341.x
Subject(s) - biology , enterobacteriaceae , bacteria , pathogenic bacteria , contamination , microbiology and biotechnology , transmission (telecommunications) , human pathogen , escherichia coli , ecology , genetics , engineering , electrical engineering , gene , biochemistry
Summary The holy water fonts from the churches of Seville, Spain have a strong bacterial contamination. Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae and other pathogenic bacteria are widely represented in the fonts investigated. Thirty out of the 37 different species isolated from holy waters are known human pathogens. The high bacterial contamination is related to human skin transmission and, probably, to misuse of the water.