Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1995 Aug;61(8):2830–2834. doi: 10.1128/aem.61.8.2830-2834.1995

Behavior of Escherichia coli and male-specific bacteriophage in environmentally contaminated bivalve molluscs before and after depuration.

W J Doré 1, D N Lees 1
PMCID: PMC167559  PMID: 7487015

Abstract

We monitored the differential reduction rates and elimination patterns of Escherichia coli and male-specific (F+) bacteriophage during UV depuration for 48 h in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) contaminated by short-term (1 to 3 weeks) and long-term (more than 6 months) exposure to sewage in the marine environment. The time taken to reduce levels of E. coli by 90% was 6.5 h or less in all cases. In contrast, the amounts of time needed to reduce levels of F+ bacteriophage by 90% were considerably longer: 47.3 and 41.3 h (after short- and long-term exposures, respectively) in mussels and 54.6 and 60.8 h (after short- and long-term exposures, respectively) in oysters. No differences in the rates of reduction of indicators of viral pollution following exposure of the shellfish to either short- or long-term sewage contamination were observed. Further experiments were conducted with mussels to determine the relative distributions of E. coli and F+ bacteriophage in tissue before and during depuration. Prior to depuration the majority of E. coli organisms (90.1%) and F+ bacteriophage (87.3%) were detected in the digestive tract (i.e., the digestive gland and intestine). E. coli and F+ bacteriophage were reduced in all tissues except the digestive gland to undetectable levels following depuration for 48 h. Within the digestive gland, levels of F+ bacteriophage were reduced to 30% of initial levels, whereas E. coli was reduced to undetectable levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (254.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Canzonier W. J. Accumulation and elimination of coliphage S-13 by the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. Appl Microbiol. 1971 Jun;21(6):1024–1031. doi: 10.1128/am.21.6.1024-1031.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Di Girolamo R., Liston J., Matches J. Uptake and elimination of poliovirus by West Coast oysters. Appl Microbiol. 1975 Feb;29(2):260–264. doi: 10.1128/am.29.2.260-264.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gill O. N., Cubitt W. D., McSwiggan D. A., Watney B. M., Bartlett C. L. Epidemic of gastroenteritis caused by oysters contaminated with small round structured viruses. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Nov 19;287(6404):1532–1534. doi: 10.1136/bmj.287.6404.1532. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Grohmann G. S., Murphy A. M., Christopher P. J., Auty E., Greenberg H. B. Norwalk virus gastroenteritis in volunteers consuming depurated oysters. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1981 Apr;59(Pt 2):219–228. doi: 10.1038/icb.1981.17. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Havelaar A. H., Furuse K., Hogeboom W. M. Bacteriophages and indicator bacteria in human and animal faeces. J Appl Bacteriol. 1986 Mar;60(3):255–262. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1986.tb01081.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Havelaar A. H., Hogeboom W. M. A method for the enumeration of male-specific bacteriophages in sewage. J Appl Bacteriol. 1984 Jun;56(3):439–447. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1984.tb01372.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Humphrey T. J., Martin K. Bacteriophage as models for virus removal from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) during re-laying. Epidemiol Infect. 1993 Oct;111(2):325–335. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800057034. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Liu O. C., Seraichekas H. R., Murphy B. L. Fate of poliovirus in northern quahaugs. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Feb;121(2):601–607. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30841. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Metcalf T. G., Mullin B., Eckerson D., Moulton E., Larkin E. P. Bioaccumulation and depuration of enteroviruses by the soft-shelled clam, Mya arenaria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Aug;38(2):275–282. doi: 10.1128/aem.38.2.275-282.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Power U. F., Collins J. K. Differential depuration of poliovirus, Escherichia coli, and a coliphage by the common mussel, Mytilus edulis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Jun;55(6):1386–1390. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.6.1386-1390.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Power U. F., Collins J. K. Tissue distribution of a coliphage and Escherichia coli in mussels after contamination and depuration. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Mar;56(3):803–807. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.3.803-807.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. West P. A., Coleman M. R. A tentative national reference procedure for isolation and enumeration of Escherichia coli from bivalve molluscan shellfish by most probable number method. J Appl Bacteriol. 1986 Dec;61(6):505–516. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1986.tb01723.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. West P. A., Wood P. C., Jacob M. Control of food poisoning risks associated with shellfish. J R Soc Health. 1985 Feb;105(1):15–21. doi: 10.1177/146642408510500104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. de Mesquita M. M., Evison L. M., West P. A. Removal of faecal indicator bacteria and bacteriophages from the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) under artificial depuration conditions. J Appl Bacteriol. 1991 Jun;70(6):495–501. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1991.tb02746.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES