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Microbiology of water
A. Waterborne microbial pathogens
B. Indicator bacteria for drinking water
C. Other indicators for drinking and
recreational water
A.Waterborne microbial pathogens
Microbiology review:
Microbes in water
include:
– Bacteria
– Virus
– Protozoa
A few microbes (pathogens)
are capable of causing
disease, and may be
transmitted by water.
Waterborne pathogens:
Some common pathogens:
Salmonella typhi
Escherichia coli
Vibrio cholera
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Shigella spp.
Cryptosporidium
Giardia lamblia
Norwalkvirus
Cryptosporidum and
cryptosporidiosis
Original image by Arturo Gonzalez, CINVESTAV, Mexico. Used with permission of Javier Ambrosio,
UNAM, Mexico
Giardia lamblia
Giardia lamblia
trophozoites live in the
small intestine of the
host.
The trophozoites
average about 15 µm in
length, have a distinct
"tear-drop" shape and
two nuclei at the anterior
end
Giardia lamblia troph. The two nuclei are easy to see in this image. (Original image from a Japanese
language site tentatively titled "Internet Atlas of Human Parasitology."
B. Indicator bacteria for
Drinking Water:
Indicator microorganisms are used to
indicate an increased risk of pathogen
contamination due to fecal contamination.
Indicator microbes should be:
– Always present when feces/sewage is present
– Always absent when feces/sewage is absent
– Survives longer in water than any of the
pathogenic species
– Easily isolated and identified.
Indicator bacteria:
Coliformbacteria (E. coli-like) are the
most often used indicator bacteria for
water quality assessment in the U.S.
Characteristics of coliforms:
Aerobic or facultative,
Gram-negative,
Non-spore forming,
Bacilli,
which ferment
lactose to form acid
and/or gas within
48 hours at 35 oC.
More specific coliforms:
Coliforms are often found naturally
in soil, water, plants, etc.