title: Sanitary significance of fecal streptococci in underground water in Egypt.
abstract: Underground water samples taken from 15 wells located at 3 municipal water works in Cairo were examined for the presence of fecal streptococci as a fecal pollution indicator. Fecal streptococci were detected in 96.4% of the 111 representative samples. Ranges of such pollution indicator were 1-17, 1-17 and 1-24 MPN/100 ml for water samples collected from wells in Mustorod, El-Marg and El-Maadi water works, respectively. A total of 200 pure strains of streptococci were isolated and subjected to biochemical and serological tests. Biochemical tests showed that only 26 strains could be classified as related to group D streptococci (enterococcus). Fore further identification, serological test was applied using 48 isolates chosen at random. The distribution of isolates among various serological groups showed that only 15 isolates (31%) could be classified into 5 defined groups (A, B, C, F and G). On the other hand, 4 isolates could not be defined serologically. The remaining 29 isolates (60%) gave a mixed reaction.
authors.affiliation: Water Pollution Control Laboratories, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: el-Zanfaly
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hosny
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fayez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaban
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004534:Egypt; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D012703:Serotyping; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply