Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1982 Mar;43(3):578–584. doi: 10.1128/aem.43.3.578-584.1982

Survival of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli in estuarine waters and sediments.

M A Hood, G E Ness
PMCID: PMC241877  PMID: 7041820

Abstract

In in vitro estuarine water and sediment chambers, the survival of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli was determined by plate counting and direct counting techniques. V. cholerae strains included environmental, clinical, and serotype O1 and non-O1 isolates, whereas E. coli strains included ATCC 25922 and a freshly cultured human isolate. Recovery of V. cholerae varied significantly with incubation temperature. Growth and extended periods of survival occurred in sterile sediments, sterile waters, and nonsterile waters, but not in nonsterile sediments. In contrast to V. cholerae, viable cells of E. coli decreased rapidly in both sterile and nonsterile estuarine waters. Direct counts revealed that E. coli cells were intact in the estuarine water, but attempts to resuscitate them were unsuccessful. The data suggest that V. cholerae survives better in estuarine waters than E. coli. The results may explain the recent observations that V. cholerae levels do not correlate well with fecal coliform concentrations in estuarine waters. Furthermore, the results add increasing evidence to support the theory that V. cholerae is an autochthonous bacterium in estuaries.

Full text

PDF
578

Selected References

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

  1. Blake P. A., Allegra D. T., Snyder J. D., Barrett T. J., McFarland L., Caraway C. T., Feeley J. C., Craig J. P., Lee J. V., Puhr N. D. Cholera--a possible endemic focus in the United States. N Engl J Med. 1980 Feb 7;302(6):305–309. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198002073020601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CARLUCCI A. F., PRAMER D. Factors affecting the survival of bacteria in sea water. Appl Microbiol. 1959 Nov;7:388–392. doi: 10.1128/am.7.6.388-392.1959. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Colwell R. R., Kaper J., Joseph S. W. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and other vibrios: occurrence and distribution in Chesapeake Bay. Science. 1977 Oct 28;198(4315):394–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Colwell R. R., Seidler R. J., Kaper J., Joseph S. W., Garges S., Lockman H., Maneval D., Bradford H., Roberts N., Remmers E. Occurrence of Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 in Maryland and Louisiana estuaries. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Feb;41(2):555–558. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.2.555-558.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GREENBERG A. E. Survival of enteric organisms in sea water. Public Health Rep. 1956 Jan;71(1):77–86. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gerba C. P., McLeod J. S. Effect of sediments on the survival of Escherichia coli in marine waters. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 Jul;32(1):114–120. doi: 10.1128/aem.32.1.114-120.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hobbie J. E., Daley R. J., Jasper S. Use of nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 May;33(5):1225–1228. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.5.1225-1228.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hood M. A., Ness G. E., Rodrick G. E. Isolation of Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 from the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Feb;41(2):559–560. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.2.559-560.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kaper J., Lockman H., Colwell R. R., Joseph S. W. Ecology, serology, and enterotoxin production of Vibrio cholerae in Chesapeake Bay. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jan;37(1):91–103. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.1.91-103.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Twedt R. M., Madden J. M., Hunt J. M., Francis D. W., Peeler J. T., Duran A. P., Hebert W. O., McCay S. G., Roderick C. N., Spite G. T. Characterization of Vibrio cholerae isolated from oysters. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Jun;41(6):1475–1478. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.6.1475-1478.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Weissman J. B., DeWitt W. E., Thompson J., Muchnick C. N., Portnoy B. L., Feeley J. C., Gangarosa E. J. A case of cholera in Texas, 1973. Am J Epidemiol. 1974 Dec;100(6):487–498. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112061. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES