Significance and suitability of Aeromonas hydrophila vs. fecal coliforms in assessing microbiological water quality

Abstract

Significance and suitability of Aeromonas hydrophila vs. fecal califorms in assessing microbiological water quality Djuikom, E.; Njiné, T.; Nola, M.; Kemka, N.; Zébazé Togouet, S. H.; Jugnia, Louis-B. ORIGINAL PAPERSignificance and suitability of Aeromonas hydrophila vs. fecal coliforms in assessing microbiological water quality E. Djuikom AE T. Njiné AE M. Nola AE N. Kemka AE S. H. Zébazé Togouet AE Louis-B. Jugnia Abstract We examined the significance and suitability of Aeromonas hydrophila versus fecal coliforms in assessing microbiological water quality. For this, we used the membrane filtration method to simultaneously estimate the abundance level of A. hydrophila and fecal coliforms in waters from the Mfoundi river watershed at Yaoundé, and compared how fluctuations in A. hydrophila abundance matched those observed with fecal coliforms index as an indicator of water quality in the system under study. Our results revealed that waters were not safe according to the standards for water quality established by the Word Health Organization (WHO). They also indicated the prevalence of A. hydrophila as compared to fecal coliforms, and suggested that water from the Mfoundi River and its tributaries could be classified as hypereutrophic based on the density of Aeromonas. Moreover, the spatial distribution of fecal coliforms and A. hydrophila exhibited similar trends within the different water bodies investigated, suggesting that A. hydrophila can be used as indicator of water quality in highly polluted waters. We concluded that waters from the Mfoundi River watershed at Yaoundé represent a great potential risk of infection for users, and foresee that the next challenge will be to determine, among other factors, the physico-chemical factors influencing the observed spatial distribution.

An Approach Using Non‐Conventional Indicators for Detecting Microbial Water Pollution

“…that can persist well in aquatic systems, thus reflecting the actual quality of the water body. In this respect, a study was conducted on Mfoundi River watershed at Yaounde in Cameroon, in which the recorded values of Aeromonas were about twofold higher than fecal coliforms . Our results were also in harmony with those previously reported by Kivanc et al Dumonter et al , and Di Bari et al .…”

“…Nearly similar trends were observed in the spatial distribution of Aeromonas and traditional indicators within a wide range of water sources, particularly moderate and highly polluted ones. The same observations were also reported by Djuikom et al and Araujo et al . Contrastively, the correlation between Aeromonas and traditional indicators in drinking water were mostly lacking in data obtained during this study.…”

“…Similarly, earlier investigators reported high numbers of Aeromonas associated with sewage pollution. The counts varied from 10 3 up to >10 6 CFU/100 mL . Aeromonas tends to flourish in aquatic habitats of highly trophic nature, presumably due to the presence of high organic matter of various origins as well as the stable environmental conditions of light and temperature .…”

“…Recent researches showed that they are almost equally important as coliforms in water quality monitoring programs. Even more, in some countries Aeromonas are now considered better indicator of contamination than general coliforms .…”

Resistance and Inactivation Kinetics of Bacterial Strains Isolated from the Non-Chlorinated and Chlorinated Effluents of a WWTP

“…Several waterborne diseases are caused by opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria that are found at lower levels than the traditional indicators of water quality [15,16]. The methods for the detection of these microorganisms are complex, and some species show greater resistance to high doses of disinfectants [17].…”