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. 1974 May;27(5):823–829. doi: 10.1128/am.27.5.823-829.1974

Comparative Survival of Indicator Bacteria and Enteric Pathogens in Well Water

Gordon A McFeters 1, Gary K Bissonnette 1, James J Jezeski 1, Carole A Thomson 1, David G Stuart 1
PMCID: PMC380150  PMID: 4598219

Abstract

The comparative survival of various fecal indicator bacteria and enteric pathogens was studied in a stable well water supply by using membrane chambers. There was more variation in the 29 coliform cultures and they died more rapidly, as a group, than the 20 enterococcus cultures that were examined. The comparative survival of the organisms tested follows: Aeromonas sp. > the shigellae (Shigella flexneri, S. sonnei, and S. dysenteriae) > fecal streptococci > coliforms = some salmonellae (Salmonella enteritidis ser. paratyphi A and D, S. enteritidis ser. typhimurium) > Streptococcus equinus > Vibrio cholerae > Salmonella typhi > Streptococcus bovis > Salmonella enteritidis ser. paratyphi B. S. bovis had a more rapid die-off than did S. equinus, but both had significantly shorter half-lives than the other streptococci. The natural populations of indicator bacteria from human and elk fecal material declined similarly to the pure cultures tested, whereas the die-off of fecal streptococci exceeded the coliforms from bovine fecal material.

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Selected References

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

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