Campylobacter spp. are the leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Most human infections result from contaminated food; however, infections are also caused by recreational waterway contamination. Campylobacter culture is technically challenging and enumeration by culture-based methods is onerous. Thus, we employed qPCR to quantify Campylobacter spp. in fresh- and marine-water samples, raw sewage and animal feces. Multiplex PCR determined whether Campylobacter jejuni or C. coli, most commonly associated with human disease, were present in qPCR-positive samples. Campylobacters were detected in raw sewage, and in feces of all avian and mammalian species tested. Campylobacter-positive concentrations ranged from 68 to 2.3 × 106 cells per 500 mL. Although C. jejuni and C. coli were rare in waterways, they were prevalent in sewage and feces. Campylobacter-specific qPCR screening of environmental waters did not correlate with the regulatory EPA method 1600 (Enterococcus culture), nor with culture-independent, molecular-based microbial source tracking indicators, such as human polyomavirus, human Bacteroidales and Methanobrevibacter smithii. Our results suggest that neither the standard EPA method nor the newly proposed culture-independent methods are appropriate surrogates for Campylobacter contamination in water. Thus, assays for specific pathogens may be necessary to protect human health, especially in waters that are contaminated with sewage and animal feces.
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Research Article|
June 21 2011
Culture-based indicators of fecal contamination and molecular microbial indicators rarely correlate with Campylobacter spp. in recreational waters
Kristen N. Hellein;
Kristen N. Hellein
1Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
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Cynthia Battie;
Cynthia Battie
2Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32250, USA
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Eric Tauchman;
Eric Tauchman
1Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
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Deanna Lund;
Deanna Lund
2Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32250, USA
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Omar A. Oyarzabal;
Omar A. Oyarzabal
3Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36101, USA
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Joe Eugene Lepo
1Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
E-mail: [email protected]
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J Water Health (2011) 9 (4): 695–707.
Article history
Received:
April 26 2011
Accepted:
May 08 2011
Citation
Kristen N. Hellein, Cynthia Battie, Eric Tauchman, Deanna Lund, Omar A. Oyarzabal, Joe Eugene Lepo; Culture-based indicators of fecal contamination and molecular microbial indicators rarely correlate with Campylobacter spp. in recreational waters. J Water Health 1 December 2011; 9 (4): 695–707. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2011.154
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