Fecal indicators and bacterial pathogens in bottled water from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Warish Ahmed; R Yusuf; I Hasan; W Ashraf; A Goonetilleke; S Toze; Ted Gardner

doi:10.1590/S1517-83822013005000026

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Fecal indicators and bacterial pathogens in bottled water from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Fecal indicators and bacterial pathogens in bottled water from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Warish Ahmed, R Yusuf, I Hasan, W Ashraf, A Goonetilleke, S Toze and Ted Gardner

Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, Vol.44(1), pp.97-103

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-83822013005000026

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Abstract

bottled water

fecal indicator bacteria

quantitative PCR

bacterial pathogens

public health risk

Forty-six bottled water samples representing 16 brands from Dhaka, Bangladesh were tested for the numbers of total coliforms, fecal indicator bacteria (i.e., thermotolerant Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.) and potential bacterial pathogens (i.e., Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp.). Among the 16 brands tested, 14 (86%), ten (63%) and seven (44%) were positive for total coliforms, E. coil and Enterococcus spp., respectively. Additionally, a further nine (56%), eight (50%), six (37%), and four (25%) brands were PCR positive for A. hydrophila lip, P. aeruginosa ETA, Salmonella spp. invA, and Shigella spp. ipaH genes, respectively. The numbers of bacterial pathogens in bottled water samples ranged from 28±12 to 600±45 (A. hydrophila lip gene), 180±40 to 900±200 (Salmonella spp. invA gene), 180±40 to 1, 300±400 (P. aeruginosa ETA gene) genomic units per L of water. Shigella spp. ipaH gene was not quantifiable. Discrepancies were observed in terms of the occurrence of fecal indicators and bacterial pathogens. No correlations were observed between fecal indicators numbers and presence/absence of A. hydrophila lip (p = 0.245), Salmonella spp. invA (p = 0.433), Shigella spp. ipaH gene (p = 0.078), and P. aeruginosa ETA (p = 0.059) genes. Our results suggest that microbiological quality of bottled waters sold in Dhaka, Bangladesh is highly variable. To protect public health, stringent quality control is recommended for the bottled water industry in Bangladesh. © 2013, Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.

Details

Title: Fecal indicators and bacterial pathogens in bottled water from Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Warish Ahmed (Author) - CSIRO Land and Water
R Yusuf (Author) - Independent University Bangladesh, Bangladesh
I Hasan (Author) - Independent University Bangladesh, Bangladesh
W Ashraf (Author) - Independent University Bangladesh, Bangladesh
A Goonetilleke (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
S Toze (Author) - CSIRO Land and Water
Ted Gardner (Author) - CSIRO Land and Water
Publication details: Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, Vol.44(1), pp.97-103
Publisher: Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia
Date published: 2013
DOI: 10.1590/S1517-83822013005000026
ISSN: 1517-8382; 1517-8382
Copyright note: Copyright © 2013 The Authors. All the content of the journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons License CC BY-NC.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450602902621
Output Type: Journal article
Research Statement: false