title: Microbial source tracking and spatial analysis of E. coli contaminated private well waters in southeastern Ontario.
abstract: Private water supplies, which are the primary source of drinking water for rural communities in developed countries, are at risk of becoming fecally contaminated. It is important to identify the source of contamination in order to better understand and address this human health risk. Microbial source tracking methods using human, bovine and general Bacteroidales markers were performed on 716 well water samples from southeastern Ontario, which had previously tested positive for Escherichia coli. The results were then geospatially analyzed in order to elucidate contamination patterns. Markers for human feces were found in nearly half (49%) of all samples tested, and a statistically significant spatial cluster was observed. A quarter of the samples tested positive for only general Bacteroidales markers (25.7%) and relatively few bovine specific marker positives (12.6%) were found. These findings are fundamental to the understanding of pathogen dynamics and risk in the context of drinking well water and will inform future research regarding host-specific pathogens in private well water samples.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krolik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Queen's University & Kingston General Hospital, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V7; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Botterell Hall - Room 915, Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Queen's University, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room D201, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6 and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit, 221 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 1V5; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Carruthers Hall, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belanger
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Ellis Hall, 58 University Ave, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guimont
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelot
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6 E-mail: anna.majury@oahpp.ca; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Botterell Hall - Room 915, Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Carruthers Hall, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majury
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D060986:Water Wells / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S