Evaluation of Selected Membrane Filtration and Most Probable Number Methods for the Enumeration of Faecal Coliforms,Escherichia coli and Enterococci in Environmental Waters

Selected methods recommended in national and international water quality guidelines were compared in tests on environmental waters with different levels of faecal pollution. The following methods yielded no statistically significant differences in counts of faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli in raw sewage, semi-treated effluent, polluted urban run-off and stored potable water: Membrane filtration (MF) using MFc Agar or Chromocult Coliform Agar containing X-glucuronide, or a miniaturised microtitre-plate Most Probable Number (MPN) assay using a liquid growth medium containing chromogenic 4-methyl-umbelliferyl--D-glucuronide. Significant differences were, however, found between the Chromocult and the other methods for unpolluted river water. Counts of faecal enterococci in raw sewage, semi-treated effluent and polluted urban run-off, obtained by the following methods did not differ significantly: MF using M-Enterococcus Agar, Bile-Esculin Agar or Enterococcus Selective Agar, or a microtitre-plate MPN method with a liquid growth medium containing chromogenic 4-methyl-umbelliferyl--D-glucoside. Significant differences were, however, found between the MPN and the other methods for unpolluted river water and stored potable water. MF using Chromocult Coliform Agar had useful benefits for the simultaneous enumeration of coliforms and E coli. However, in view of cost and practical considerations, MF using MFc Agar or M-Enterococcus Agar proved the methods of choice for respectively enumerating faecal coliforms and E coli, or faecal enterococci, in analyses for general water quality surveillance purposes.     

Culture-independent analysis of fecal microbiota in infants, with special reference to Bifidobacterium species

Fecal microbiota of 31 breast-fed, 26 mix-fed, and 11 bottle-fed infants were analyzed by using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and culture method. We first determined the total and cultivated bacterial counts in infant fecal microbiota. Only approximately 30% of bacteria present in fecal microbiota were cultivable while the remainder was yet-to-be cultured bacteria. Sixty-eight fecal samples were divided into two clusters (I and II) by T-RFLP analysis, and then subdivided into five subclusters (Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb and IIc). There was no clear relationship between clusters and feeding method. A proportion of bifidobacteria was detected in the fecal material by PCR method using species-specific primers. The predominant Bifidobacterium spp. was Bifidobacterium longum longum type (43 samples (63.2%)), followed by B. longum infantis type (23 samples (33.8%)) and B. breve (16 samples (23.5%)). The distribution of Bifidobacterium spp. was similar in the three feeding groups. In contrast, the high incidence of B. breve in cluster I, especially subcluster Ia and B. longum longum type in cluster II, especially subcluster IIa and IIc were characterized by T-RFLP method. Our results showed that the colonization of Bifidobacterium spp. in infant feces correlated with the T-RFLP clusters.     

Removal of micro-organisms in a small-scale hydroponics wastewater treatment system

Aims: To measure the microbial removal capacity of a small-scale hydroponics wastewater treatment plant. Methods and Results: Paired samples were taken from untreated, partly-treated and treated wastewater and analysed for faecal microbial indicators, i.e. coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens spores and somatic coliphages, by culture based methods. Escherichia coli was never detected in effluent water after >5.8-log removal. Enterococci, coliforms, spores and coliphages were removed by 4.5, 4.1, 2.3 and 2.5 log respectively. Most of the removal (60-87%) took place in the latter part of the system because of settling, normal inactivation (retention time 12.7 d) and sand filtration. Time-dependent log-linear removal was shown for spores (k = -0.17 log d(-1), r(2) = 0.99). Conclusions: Hydroponics wastewater treatment removed micro-organisms satisfactorily. Significance and Impact of the Study: Investigations on the microbial removal capacity of hydroponics have only been performed for bacterial indicators. In this study it has been shown that virus and (oo)cyst process indicators were removed and that hydroponics can be an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment.     

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in tropical seafood

Summary The occurrence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli in tropical seafood was studied. A 3-tube MPN method was used for determining the level of faecal contamination of fresh and processed seafood. Of the 188 samples tested which included finfish, shellfish, water and ice, 155 were positive for the presence of faecal coliforms following incubation at 44.5 °C. However, E. coli was isolated from only 47% of the samples positive for faecal coliforms. The antibiotic resistance of 116 strains isolated from seafood was tested using 14 different antibiotics including ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin and vancomycin. Seven strains were resistant to more than five antibiotics of which one was resistant to eight antibiotics. The multiple drug resistant strains harboured plasmids of varying sizes. Antibiotic susceptibility studies revealed that seafood from India contains multiple antibiotic resistant strains of E. coli which may serve as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes in the aquatic environment. All the strains used in this study did not harbour any virulence genes commonly associated with pathogenic E. coli, when tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).     

Antibiotic resistance and survival of faecal coliforms in activated sludge system in a semi-arid region (Beni Mellal,Morocco)

The activated sludge process is one of the biological treatment methods used in many countries to reduce the high levels of organic and mineral pollutants and pathogenic micro-organisms present in wastewater. The present work was undertaken to study the dynamic and antibiotic-resistance of faecal coliforms (FC) in the activated sludge system of Beni Mellal. This work has also as objective the study of the survival of FC, protozoan cysts, helminth eggs and FC antibiotic resistance in the sludge dehydrated in drying beds in order to know if the agricultural usage of sludge presents any problems to public health. The activated sludge treatment of Beni Mellal resulted in an average reduction of FC and faecal streptococci of 90.75 and 91.06%, respectively. The overall resistance (resistance to at least one antibiotic) of 111 FC strains isolated from the system was 72.07%. This treatment system did not increase the incidence of FC antibiotic resistance in treated wastewaters. The antibiotic resistance of FC was found to be similar in both raw (71.05%) and treated sewage (77.77%). High levels of antibiotic resistance were towards streptomycin (54.05%), ampicillin (42.34%), amoxicillin (42.34%) and amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (31.53%). The treatment of sludge in drying beds appeared to be efficient in eliminating pathogenic micro-organisms: FC, protozoan cysts and helminth eggs. Moreover, the FC antibiotic resistance did not change over time in sludge-drying bed. According to the standard norms, agricultural utilization of this sludge cannot be excluded. However, it is important to study in the receptor environment the survival and the behaviour of antibiotic-resistant FC present in sludge and water.     

Assessment of Enteric Pathogen Shedding by Bathers during Recreational Activity and its Impact on Water Quality

An assessment was made to determine the potential loading of enteric pathogenic protozoa and viruses into drinking water supply reservoirs by body contact recreation. These and other organisms of fecal origin are shed from the body during bathing. A literature review was conducted on the concentration of selected enteric viruses and protozoa during infection, the incidence of these infections, and duration of excretion. In addition, from existing literature, the amount of fecal material released during bathing was estimated from the shedding of fecal coliforms by bathers. The mean amount of fecal material shed per bather was estimated at 0.14[emsp4 ]gram. The concentration of protozoan parasites (Giardia or Cryptosporidium) in feces of infected persons can range from 10⁵ to 10⁷ per gram and enteric viruses (enteroviruses, adenoviruses, rotavirus) from 10⁵ to 10¹² per gram. From this information, the concentration of enteric pathogens, shed into the water, could be calculated for a group of bathers. This information can be used to model the impact of body contact recreation on water quality in reservoirs used for drinking water supplies. Such information is useful in assessing the required treatment of the water to meet water quality regulations.     

The impact of nutrient loading from Canada Geese (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Branta canadensis</Emphasis>) on water quality,a mesocosm approach

A mesocosm experiment determined the impact of Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) feces on water chemistry. After 30 days of fecal additions (treatments of 1.209, 2.419 g, and 12.090 g every 3 d to 0.811 m³ size mescosms), no significant changes in water column total phosphorus, nitrate, N:P ratios, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, or phycocyanin were observed among treatment groups. Soluble reactive phosphorus showed a marginally significant increase in the high treatment group. A settling experiment suggested that goose feces and associated nutrients settled quickly to the sediment. Since fecal material settles quickly to the sediment, the impact of additional fecal material would not become evident in a lake until a wind event mixes the sediment into the water column or through alteration of the productivity or community structure of the benthos. Handling editor: K. Martens     

Individual and sexual identification for the wild black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons) based on fecal DNA

The black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons), endemic to China, was categorized as a Grade I National Key Protected Animal by the Ministry of Agriculture of China and classified as Vulnerable (VU) by IUCN. Recent years, studies had been conducted on this species mainly focusing on habitat selection, food habit, gene flow etc., only with a few reports on the population dynamics. Individual identification of wild animals is one of the most important subjects in the population dynamic research. Of various molecular markers, microsatellite DNA fingerprinting has been used most frequently and successfully on many kinds of animals. Here, we constructed identification system for the black muntjac using 8 microsatellite loci. 31 black muntjacs were identified from 141 fecal samples, whereas 43 samples could be used for PCR after repeated trials. Further, the sequencing for Cytb gene was also conducted for convincing us the identity of fecal samples. The results, highly consistent between sequencing consequence and sequence data from Genebank, implied that those experienced local people are of the convincing knowledge about wild animals, especially at the respects of identification to black muntjac’ feces pellets. Moreover, we detected the specificity of identification system to black muntjac. BM1225 was the only one locus that unsuccessful PCR for the muscle samples of Muntiacus reevesi was observed, which suggested that our identification system could be used for excluding the non-researched objects in some cases. Analyses using softwares CERVUS 3.0 and POPGENE 1.21 showed that the present identification system had strong discrimination power: 0.938 per loci (DP) or 0.999 in total (CDP). The mean observed number of alleles (Na), mean effective number of alleles (Ne), and mean excepted heterogosity (He) were 8.875, 6.375, and 0.829 respectively. Considering that the change of sex ratio in population could exert significant impact on population growth, density to some extent, we also analyzed the sex ratio of those individuals that had been identified based on fecal samples from filed using SRY (Sex-determining region Y) gene amplification, which identified 19 males and 12 females.     

肠道微生态与白血病的研究进展

微生物群与人体的健康密切相关,约20%的恶性肿瘤与微生态失调有关。研究显示肠道微生物可以调节造血,其与血液系统疾病的关系逐渐得到研究者的关注,肠道微生物参与白血病的发生发展,影响白血病的治疗效果。较早的暴露于微生物群是儿童白血病的保护性因素,化疗会引起肠道微生物紊乱,肠道微生物可以改变化疗药物的疗效和毒性,其多样性和组成能够预测化疗相关的并发症,通过微生态制剂和粪菌移植可以减少化疗相关的并发症。本文从肠道微生态与白血病及其并发症的关系,以及调节肠道微生态对白血病的影响两个方面的最新进展进行综述。     

圈养小熊猫粪便微生物组成 及其影响因子初探

小熊猫（Ailurus fulgens）经过长期的适应性进化,食性依赖于高纤维含量的竹子,同时保留了具有食肉动物特征的消化系统,在分类学、系统进化及生态学领域都具有重要的研究价值。本研究旨在分析小熊猫粪便微生物结构组成,探讨其食竹习性的生物学机制。采集上海动物园和杭州动物园两种日粮的小熊猫新鲜粪便,开展基于16S rRNA基因的Hiseq高通量测序,分析小熊猫粪便微生物的结构组成,并探讨日粮组成和年龄（幼龄组2只,成年组4只,老年组3只）对小熊猫粪便微生物结构组成的影响。研究表明,不同日粮组成会影响小熊猫粪便微生物多样性（P < 0.05）,成年组小熊猫粪便微生物多样性显著高于幼龄组和老年组（P < 0.05）。在微生物门水平上,小熊猫粪便微生物以厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）为主,在属水平上以埃希-志贺菌属（Escherichia-Shigella）、狭义梭菌属（Clostridium sensu stricto）和肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）为主。小熊猫粪便微生物中,具有代谢碳水化合物和氨基酸功能的基因丰度最高,其次为代谢能量和脂类的基因。与纤维素降解有关的酶中,能够表达6-磷酸-β-葡糖苷酶和β-葡糖苷酶的基因丰度最高,有助于小熊猫消化高纤维性食物。小熊猫的肠道微生物具有很强的代谢碳水化合物和氨基酸的功能,并且能够产生高丰度消化纤维素的酶。