The recovery of heat-stressed Escherichia coli in lake water microcosms

C.-H. LIM AND K.P. FLINT. 1995. Escherichia coli was heat stressed at 55, 60 or 65°C in sterile flasks of lake water. After 6 h at these temperatures the viable count on nutrient agar had dropped below the limits of detection (1 colony in 100 ml). The flasks were transferred to a 15°C incubator and left for 7 d. Recovery of the stressed E. coli was shown to occur within 48 h at this temperature. Recovery also occurred in microcosms amended with 5o (v/v) synthetic sewage. The stressed E. coli multiplied in the amended but not in the unamended microcosms.