Quantification of Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Contrasting Soils
Persistence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in the environment is a major concern to vegetable and fruit growers where farms and livestock production are in close proximity. The objectives were to determine the effects of preplant fumigation treatment on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in two...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Hindawi Limited
2011-01-01
|
Series: | International Journal of Microbiology |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/421379 |
Summary: | Persistence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in the
environment is a major concern to vegetable and fruit growers
where farms and livestock production are in close proximity. The
objectives were to determine the effects of preplant fumigation
treatment on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in two soils and the
effects of indigenous bacterial populations on the survival of
this pathogen. Real-time PCR and plate counts were used to
quantify the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in two contrasting soils
after fumigation with methyl bromide (MeBr) and methyl iodide
(MeI). Ten days after fumigation, E. coli O157:H7 counts were
significantly lower (𝑃=.0001) in fumigated soils than in the
non-fumigated. Direct comparison between MeBr and MeI within each
soil indicated that these two fumigants showed similar impacts on
E. coli O157:H7 survival. Microbial species diversity as
determined by DGGE was significantly higher in clay soil than
sandy soil and this resulted in higher initial decline in
population in clay soil than in sandy soil. This study shows that
if soil is contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, fumigation alone may
not eliminate the pathogen, but may cause decrease in microbial
diversity which may enhance the survival of the pathogen. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 1687-918X 1687-9198 |