title: Potential public health significance of faecal contamination and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Salmonella serotypes in a lake in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of faecal coliform bacteria and multiple drug resistance among Escherichia coli and Salmonella serotypes from Vembanadu Lake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic microbiological testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Monthly collection of water samples were made from ten stations on the southern and northern parts of a salt water regulator constructed in Vembanadu Lake in order to prevent incursion of seawater during certain periods of the year. Density of faecal colifrom bacteria was estimated. E. coli and Salmonella were isolated and their different serotypes were identified. Antibiotic resistance analysis of E. coli and Salmonella serotypes was done and the MAR index of individual isolates was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Density of faecal coliform bacteria ranged from mean MPN value 2900 -7100/100ml. Results showed multiple drug resistance pattern among the bacterial isolates. E. coli showed more than 50% resistance to amickacin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, tetracycline and kanamycin while Salmonella showed high resistance to oxytetracycline, streptomycin, tetracycline and ampicillin. The MAR indexing of the isolates showed that they have originated from high risk source such as humans, poultry and dairy cows.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high density of faecal coliform bacteria and prevalence of multi drug resistant E. coli and Salmonella serotypes in the lake may pose severe public health risk through related water borne and food borne outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Water and Aquatic Sciences Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Canada. abhichandn@gmail.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abhirosh
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sherin
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: A A M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hatha
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazumder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D011200:Poultry; D011634:Public Health; D012306:Risk; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents