Journal article
Prevalence and Persistence of Escherichia coli Strains with Uropathogenic Virulence Characteristics in Sewage Treatment Plants
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol.76(17), pp.5882-5886
2010
Abstract
We investigated the prevalence and persistence of Escherichia coli strains in four sewage treatment plants (STPs) in a subtropical region of Queensland, Australia. In all, 264 E. coli strains were typed using a high-resolution biochemical fingerprinting method and grouped into either a single or a common biochemical phenotype (S-BPT and C-BPT, respectively). These strains were also tested for their phylogenetic groups and 12 virulence genes associated with intestinal and extraintestinal E. coli strains. Comparison of BPTs at various treatment stages indicated that certain BPTs were found in two or all treatment stages. These BPTs constituted the highest proportion of E. coli strains in each STP and belonged mainly to phylogenetic group B2 and, to a lesser extent, group D. No virulence genes associated with intestinal E. coli were found among the strains, but 157 (59.5%) strains belonging to 14 C-BPTs carried one or more virulence genes associated with uropathogenic strains. Of these, 120 (76.4%) strains belonged to seven persistent C-BPTs and were found in all four STPs. Our results indicate that certain clonal groups of E. coli with virulence characteristics of uropathogenic strains can survive the treatment processes of STPs. These strains were common to all STPs and constituted the highest proportion of the strains in different treatment tanks of each STP.
Details
- Title
- Prevalence and Persistence of Escherichia coli Strains with Uropathogenic Virulence Characteristics in Sewage Treatment Plants
- Authors
- Emma M Anastasi (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and EducationB Matthews (Author) - Griffith UniversityAycan Gundogdu (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and EducationTara L Vollmerhausen (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and EducationNubia Ramos (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and EducationH Stratton (Author) - Griffith UniversityWarish Ahmed (Author) - Queensland Department of Environment and Resource ManagementMohammad Katouli (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and Education
- Publication details
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol.76(17), pp.5882-5886
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Date published
- 2010
- DOI
- 10.1128/AEM.00141-10
- ISSN
- 0099-2240
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2010 American Society for Microbiology. The author's accepted version is reproduced here in accordance with the publisher's copyright policy. The definitive version is available at http://aem.asm.org/
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449708902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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