Human-Specific E.coli Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Genotypes Detected in a South East Queensland Waterway, Australia

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2011-12, Vol.45 (24), p.10331-10336
• Main Authors: Sheludchenko, Maxim S, Huygens, Flavia, Hargreaves, Megan H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Characterization of Natural and Affected Environments; E coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh Water - chemistry; Fresh Water - microbiology; Genotype & phenotype; Health risk assessment; Humans; Natural water pollution; Pollution; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Queensland; Risk Assessment; Water pollution; Water Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Water treatment and pollution; Watersheds
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es201599u

The World Health Organization recommends that the majority of water monitoring laboratories in the world test for E. coli daily since thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli are key indicators for risk assessment of recreational waters. Recently, we developed a new SNP method for typing E. coli strains, by which human-specific genotypes were identified. Here, we report the presence of these previously described specific SNP profiles in environmental water, sourced from the Coomera River, located in South East Queensland, Australia, over a period of two years. This study tested for the presence of human-specific E. coli to ascertain whether hydrologic and anthropogenic activity plays a key role in the pollution of the investigated watershed or whether the pollution is from other sources. We found six human-specific SNP profiles and one animal-specific SNP profile consistently across sampling sites and times. We have demonstrated that our SNP genotyping method is able to rapidly identify and characterize human- and animal-specific E. coli isolates in water sources.