Salmonellae as an index of pollution of surface waters.
Screening enrichments of surface water specimens by means of a polyvalent fluorescent antibody reagent for the salmonellae yielded approximately 60% more positive specimens than was obtained by cultural procedures. It is not known what fraction of the excess of fluorescent antibody-positive over culturally positive specimens represents staining of non-salmonellae or non-arizonae as opposed to the staining of non-cultivatable organisms of these two genera. Cotton gauze and rayon-polypropylene fiber swabs were equally sensitive for collecting salmonellae from the streams examined. Tetrathionate enrichment incubated at 41.5 C appeared to be superior to selenite-cystine for isolation of salmonellae from surface waters. Twenty-eight serotypes of Salmonella and two serotypes of Arizona were identified in the 121 positive specimens. In water rated moderately polluted, 65% of all specimens tested were positive; in minimally polluted waters, 38% were positive; and in unpolluted streams, 44% were positive.
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D003553:Cystine; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005618:Fresh Water; D005845:Georgia; D008722:Methods; D012475:Salmonella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012643:Selenium; D012703:Serotyping; D013431:Sulfates; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution
D003470:Culture Media; D013431:Sulfates; D003553:Cystine; D012643:Selenium