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Application of a Pathogenicity Marker Found in Escherichia coli for the Assessment of Irrigation Water Quality
Author(s) -
Keeling Suzanne,
Moutafis George,
Hayman Bernadette,
Coloe Peter
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143006x136766
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , polymerase chain reaction , biology , wastewater , veterinary medicine , pathogenicity , pasture , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , environmental engineering , agronomy , genetics , medicine , environmental science
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based method was developed to differentiate between pathogenic and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). A pathogenicity marker, linked to the deletion of the ygfB gene, was identified in 80% of the clinical E. coli isolates tested. This marker, combined with the malic acid dehydrogenase gene, formed the duplex PCR that was subsequently used to screen E. coli isolates recovered from two secondary wastewater treatment plants (STPs) and a river site. All waters samples are used to irrigate dairy farm pasture in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Results from three consecutive months of sampling (December 2001 and January and February 2002) indicated that Longwarry STP showed 8, 8, and 0% pathogenic E. coli; Pakenham STP showed 0, 12.5, and 33%; and the Bunyip river site showed 20, 12, and 25% respectively.