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Run‐off studies demonstrate parallel transport behaviour for a marker of poultry fecal contamination and S taphylococcus aureus
Author(s) -
Weidhaas J.,
Garner E.,
Basden T.,
Harwood V.J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/jam.12543
Subject(s) - contamination , staphylococcus aureus , feces , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , fecal coliform , food contaminant , food science , bacteria , ecology , genetics , water quality
Aims To determine whether poultry litter marker gene LA 35 is correlated with pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria ( FIB ) in run‐off from poultry litter‐amended plots. Methods and Results A rainfall simulator with various vegetative filter strip lengths was employed to evaluate the correlation of a microbial source tracking ( MST ) marker for poultry feces/litter (the 16 S rRNA gene of B revibacterium sp. LA35 [LA35] measured by quantitative PCR) with pathogens and FIB in run‐off. LA35 was correlated with Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroidales levels. Salmonella was present at low concentration in litter, but became undetectable by qPCR in run‐off. Escherichia coli , LA 35 and S taph. aureus exhibited mass‐based first flush behaviour in the run‐off. Conclusions Correlation of LA 35 with FIB and pathogens in run‐off from poultry litter‐amended fields suggest comparable transport mechanisms and that LA 35 is a useful tracer for harmful bacteria in the environment released from poultry litter. Significance and Impact of the Study To protect human health, an effective marker for poultry fecal contamination should exhibit similar fate and transport characteristics compared to pathogens. This study is among the first to demonstrate such a relationship in run‐off for a MST marker.