Diversity of Enteropathogens in River Narmada and Their Environmental and Health Implications

Abstract

The global diversity is changing at an unprecedented rate as complex response to several human induced perturbations in the environment. Though many of the microorganisms, the earliest forms of life on earth, have been commercially exploited, our knowledge of their diversity and key roles in sustaining global life supporting systems is limited. The microbial population in a body of natural water, to a large extent is determined by the physical and chemical condition, which prevails in that habitat. The discharge of domestic sewage and industrial effluents are the main sources of river water pollution that propagates the pathogens especially the enteropathogenic microbial populations. River Narmada holds the life line of central India. The most prevalent mechanism of dispersion being the oral-fecal route. The emergence and persistence of multidrug resistant pathogens in the aquatic gene pool of river Narmada posses a catastrophic situation for all forms of life and humans in special. The study of genetic diversity of pathogens helps in better implementation of public health intervention strategies and provides a better insight for understanding evolution, taxonomy, and pathogenecity. Such an enterprise is useful for rational development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.