Detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains in wastewater by fluorescent antibody.
Flourescent antibody (FA) techniques were used to evaluate fluorescein-labeled enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EEC) OB globulins as a means of presumptively detecting these serogroups in wastewater. Four of the more prevalent and incriminated EEC serogroups were detected by FA and isolated from wastewater. A total of 317 sewage isolates biochemically defined as E. coli were tested by FA and agglutination tests. Only a small number of these isolates (9/317, 2.8%) were serologically groups as being enteropathogenic related strains. The frequency of occurrence of EEC organisms in a wastewater, as determined by FA, is reported. The use of highly specific OB fluorescent antibodies to monitor wastewater for the presence of EEC is discussed.
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002452:Cell Count; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D012722:Sewage; D014871:Water Microbiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D012722:Sewage