RTS# MI-0110
By: S .K. Haack, L. A. Reynolds, J. R. Underwood, M. J. Wolcott, and R. L. Whitman
The 63rd Street Beach, Chicago, has experienced frequent exceedances of Escherichia coli (E. coli) recreational water quality standards, has a large resident seagull population, and few other apparent sources of these bacteria. Enterococci numbers have rarely been determined for this beach. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between E. coli and enterococci populations in seagulls and those in water and sediments at the beach. Samples of beach water, foreshore sediments and seagull feces were collected in June and August, 2000. A total of 160 E. coli isolates were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of repetitive sequences in the DNA using the REP1R-I and REP2-I primers (rep-PCR). E. coli DNA fingerprints were grouped using computer analysis of banding patterns (GelCompar, Applied Biomaths, Kortrijk, BE). Enterococci (71 isolates) were grouped by similarity of response to biochemical and physiological tests (API rapid ID 32 STREP; hemolysis, pigment) using cluster analysis (S-Plus 2000, MathSoft, Inc.,WA). June and August populations of E. coli and enterococci in seagull feces exhibited little similarity in either DNA fingerprints (E. coli) or test responses (enterococci). In addition, there was little similarity between June E. coli or enterococci populations in seagull feces and those derived from beach water or sediment. In contrast, approximately 50% of August water and sediment E. coli isolates grouped closely with seagull isolates. Numbers of enterococci in water and sediment in August were below detection in most cases and therefore, no relation with seagull-derived enterococci could be established for this date. Studies attempting to define the sources of indicator bacteria to recreational waters must account for temporal variability in source populations.
Publication
Haack, S. K., L. A. Reynolds, J. R. Underwood, M. J. Wolcott, and R. L. Whitman, 2001. Temporal Variation in Populations of Seagull-Derived Escherichia coli and Enterococci at a Lake Michigan Beach, Annual Meeting American Society for Microbiology, Orlando, FL, May 21-24, 2001. RTS# MI-0110
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