Assessment of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Potential Pathogen Co-Occurrence at a Shellfish Growing Area.

ABSTRACT: Routine monitoring of shellfish growing waters for bacteria indicative of human sewage pollution reveals little about the bacterial communities that co-occur with these indicators. This study investigated the bacterial community, potential pathogens, and fecal indicator bacteria in 40 water samples from a shellfish growing area in the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Bacterial community composition was quantified with deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and absolute gene abundances were estimated with an internal standard (Thermus thermophilus genomes). Fecal coliforms were quantified by culture, and Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus with quantitative PCR. Fecal coliforms and V. vulnificus were detected in most samples, and a diverse assemblage of potential

SUBMITTER: Leight AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5861211 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature