title: Comparative survival of indicator bacteria and enteric pathogens in well water.
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.
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival; D003670:Deer; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D009009:Montana; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012722:Sewage; D012762:Shigella dysenteriae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012764:Shigella sonnei / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage