This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cherry, W. B. Articles by Croom, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cherry, W. B. Articles by Croom, J. M. Agricola Articles by Cherry, W. B. Articles by Croom, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1972 September; 24(3): 334-340
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Salmonellae as an Index of Pollution of Surface Waters

Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333

ABSTRACT

Screening enrichments of surface water specimens by means of a polyvalent fluorescent antibody reagent for the salmonellae yielded approximately 60% more positive specimens than was obtained by cultural procedures. It is not known what fraction of the excess of fluorescent antibody-positive over culturally positive specimens represents staining of non-salmonellae or non-arizonae as opposed to the staining of non-cultivatable organisms of these two genera. Cotton gauze and rayon-polypropylene fiber swabs were equally sensitive for collecting salmonellae from the streams examined. Tetrathionate enrichment incubated at 41.5 C appeared to be superior to selenite-cystine for isolation of salmonellae from surface waters. Twenty-eight serotypes of Salmonella and two serotypes of Arizona were identified in the 121 positive specimens. In water rated moderately polluted, 65% of all specimens tested were positive; in minimally polluted waters, 38% were positive; and in unpolluted streams, 44% were positive.

¹ Present address: University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., 14620

² Present address: Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. 30322.