Detection of viable bacterial pathogens in a drinking water source using propidium monoazide-quantitative PCR

Abstract

Research Article| September 10 2014 Detection of viable bacterial pathogens in a drinking water source using propidium monoazide-quantitative PCR Avid Banihashemi; Avid Banihashemi 1NSERC Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 E-mail: a2baniha@uwaterloo.ca Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Michele I. Van Dyke; Michele I. Van Dyke 1NSERC Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Peter M. Huck Peter M. Huck 1NSERC Chair in Water Treatment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2015) 64 (2): 139–148. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2014.063 Article history Received: May 16 2014 Accepted: August 09 2014 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Permissions Search Site Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsThis Journal Search Advanced Search Citation Avid Banihashemi, Michele I. Van Dyke, Peter M. Huck; Detection of viable bacterial pathogens in a drinking water source using propidium monoazide-quantitative PCR. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 March 2015; 64 (2): 139–148. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2014.063 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex A cell viability assay was applied to measure bacterial enteric pathogens in a river in southern Ontario, Canada that is used as a source of drinking water. Pathogen concentrations were measured using both propidium monoazide (PMA)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) without PMA pretreatment to compare viable and total (live and dead) cells. The pathogens evaluated were Salmonella enterica, thermophilic Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli O157:H7, and the suspected enteric pathogen Arcobacter butzleri was also investigated. Results showed that for all strains dead cells were detected in few river water samples, and the difference between total and viable cell concentrations for each pathogen group was always less than 0.5 log. A. butzleri was detected at concentrations 2–3 log higher than the other pathogens. S. enterica, Campylobacter, and E. coli O157:H7 were detected at low concentrations at one sample location and at higher concentrations at a second sampling location. Results from this study show qPCR with PMA pretreatment can provide reliable enumeration of viable pathogens in surface water, and that dead cells were rarely present in water used as a source for drinking water treatment. Arcobacter butzleri, PCR, propidium monoazide, river water, viability, waterborne pathogen © IWA Publishing 2015 You do not currently have access to this content.