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Occurrence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli genes in raw water of water treatment plants

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Abstract

Purpose

The high incidences of waterborne diseases are frequently associated with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC). DEC may pose a health risk to people who contact surface water for recreation or domestic use. However, there is no published report on the monitoring of DEC in drinking water sources in Taiwan. In this study, the occurrence of DEC genes in raw water for water treatment plants in Taiwan was investigated.

Method

Raw water samples were taken from water treatment plants adjacent to the Kaoping River in southern Taiwan. Each water sample was treated with membrane filtration followed by DNA extraction from the concentrate and concentrate enrichment, respectively. The target genes for various DEC strains of genes were identified, including enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC).

Results

Among 55 water samples analyzed, DEC genes were detected in 16 (29.1%) samples. Strain-specific genes for EAEC, EHEC, EIEC, and EPEC were found in the percentages of 3.6%, 10.9%, 9.1%, and 9.1%, respectively. The specific gene for ETEC is not detected in the study. By looking at the presence/absence of specific genes and water sample characteristics, water temperature was found to differ significantly between samples with and without EHEC gene. In addition, pH levels differed significantly for EHEC and EPEC presence/absence genes, and turbidity was significantly different for water with and without EPEC genes.

Conclusion

DEC genes were detected in 29.1% of the raw water samples in the study location. The potential health threat may be increased if the treatment efficiencies are not properly maintained. Routine monitoring of DEC in drinking water sources should be considered.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a research grant from the National Science Council of Taiwan, People’s Republic of China (NSC97-2221-E-194-006-MY3). We are grateful to Ryan Wallace for his editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for General Education, Cheng-Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Shih-Wei Huang

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Bing-Mu Hsu & Po-Min Kao

  3. Institute of Applied Geophysics and Environmental Science, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yen-Jui Su

  4. Research and Diagnostic Center, Centers for Disease Control, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Dar-Der Ji & Wei-Chen Lin

  5. Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Jyh-Larng Chen & Feng-Cheng Shih

  6. General Surgery, Surgical Department, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yi-Chou Chiu

  7. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yi-Chou Chiu

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  1. Shih-Wei Huang
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Correspondence to Bing-Mu Hsu or Yi-Chou Chiu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Yi-Chou Chiu and Bing-Mu Hsu contributed equally to this work.

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Huang, SW., Hsu, BM., Su, YJ. et al. Occurrence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli genes in raw water of water treatment plants. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 2776–2783 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0777-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0777-4

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