The occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in bathing water of the Sierra de la Ventana region, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
The region of Sierra de la Ventana is located in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Traditionally, this area has been devoted to livestock and agriculture, but tourism has had a significant development in recent years. In the region, there are many rivers and streams that are used for swimming and bathing. A survey of the occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in these waters was conducted, and the microbiological quality of rivers and streams was investigated. No E. coli O157 was recovered by immunomagnetic separation. Nevertheless, the Shiga toxin gene, exclusively stx2 genotype, was detected in four non-O157 E. coli strains. Two STEC strains carried eae factor, but none of them harbored the EHEC-hlyA gene. Three of the STEC isolates belonged to samples obtained in the warm months, and one to the winter sampling. In the sample sites where STEC strains were isolated the counts of E. coli/100 ml exceeded or were close to the limit recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for bathing water. The relationship observed between the rainy season and E. coli counts suggests that among the main causes for the hygienic indicator increase is the runoff of manure deposited on soils that may also induce the entrance of pathogens into the aquatic environment. This research, the first reporting STEC isolation from recreational waters in this area, revealed that streams and rivers from a beef-producing area of Argentina are a reservoir of STEC strains.
Marucci
Patricia L
PL
Cátedra de Microbiología Industrial y de los Alimentos, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Olivera
Nelda L
NL
Brugnoni
Lorena I
LI
Sica
Maria G
MG
Cubitto
Maria Amelia
MA
D001118:Argentina; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011998:Recreation; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014871:Water Microbiology
D022621:Shiga Toxin
J Water Health. 2005 Jun;3(2):157-71
16075941
J Med Microbiol. 2005 Aug;54(Pt 8):805-806
16014436
Vet Res. 2005 May-Jun;36(3):289-311
15845227
Int J Food Microbiol. 2004 Nov 1;96(2):189-98
15364473
Clin Microbiol Rev. 1989 Jan;2(1):15-38
2644022
J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Feb;36(2):598-602
9466788
Water Res. 2005 Nov;39(18):4485-93
16219332
Vet Microbiol. 2008 Nov 25;132(1-2):1-18
18586416
J Clin Microbiol. 1993 May;31(5):1200-5
8501218
Clin Microbiol Rev. 1998 Jan;11(1):142-201
9457432
Rev Argent Microbiol. 1999 Jan-Mar;31(1):19-24
10327456
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Oct;87(20):7839-43
2172966
N Engl J Med. 1983 Mar 24;308(12):681-5
6338386
Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 May;37(5):985-91
114112
J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Mar;28(3):540-5
2182671
Emerg Infect Dis. 1999 Sep-Oct;5(5):607-25
10511517
Infect Immun. 1995 Mar;63(3):1055-61
7868227
Rev Argent Microbiol. 1995 Jul-Sep;27(3):115-22
8588049
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Nov;72(11):7301-10
16980417
Medicina (B Aires). 1998;58(1):1-7
9674201
Emerg Infect Dis. 2003 Jan;9(1):106-8
12533290