title: Quantification of Salmonella Typhi in water and sediments by molecular-beacon based qPCR.
abstract: A molecular-beacon based qPCR assay targeting staG gene was designed for specific detection and quantification of S. Typhi and validated against water and sediment samples collected from the river Ganga, Yamuna and their confluence on two days during Mahakumbha mela 2012-2013 (a) 18 December, 2012: before six major religious holy dips (Makar Sankranti, Paush Poornima, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, Maghi Poornima and Mahashivratri) (b) 10 February, 2013: after the holy dip was taken by over 3,00,00,000 devotees led by ascetics of Hindu sects at Sangam on 'Mauni Amavasya' (the most auspicious day of ritualistic mass bathing). The assay could detect linearly lowest 1 genomic equivalent per qPCR and is highly sensitive and selective for S. Typhi detection in presence of non specific DNA from other bacterial strains including S. Paratyphi A and S. Typhimurium. It has been observed that water and sediment samples exhibit S. Typhi. The mass holy dip by devotees significantly affected the water and sediment quality by enhancing the number of S. Typhi in the study area. The qPCR developed in the study might be helpful in planning the intervention and prevention strategies for control of enteric fever outbreaks in endemic regions.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Neetika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India. Electronic address: devpoornima@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Poornima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vajpayee
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India.
authors.forename: Smriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rishi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shanker
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India. Electronic address: kcgupta@iitr.res.in.
authors.forename: Kailash Chand
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045483:Rivers; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Culture-free; Salmonella Typhi; Sediments; Specific detection; Surface water; qPCR